SRINAGAR, August 24: Senior Congress leaderGhulam Nabi Azadsaid he will resign if Rahul Gandhi’s “collusion with BJP” remark can be proven, sources said ANI reported.
Azad is present in the virtual meeting of theCongress Working Committee(CWC) being held after more than 20 leaders wrote to party interim President Sonia Gandhi calling for sweeping reforms in the party.When the issue was being discussed in the meeting,Rahul Gandhi said this (writing a letter to Sonia Gandhifor reforms in party leadership) was done in collusion with BJP, according to sources.
Gandhi also questioned the timing of a letter toSonia Gandhiby party colleagues for reforms in the party and criticised the move saying that it came when the interim party President was admitted to a hospital.
He also said that the letter was written at a time when Congress government in Rajasthan was facing a crisis, the right place to discuss what was written in the letter was CWC meeting and not the media, sources said.Earlier, Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that he has never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue yetRahul Gandhisaid that “we are colluding with BJP”.
“Rahul Gandhisays ‘we are colluding with BJP’ Succeeded in Rajasthan High Court defending the Congress Party Defending party in Manipur to bring down BJP Govt. Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue Yet ‘we are colluding with the BJP’!” Sibal tweeted.
Even as Sonia Gandhi asked CWC members to relieve her from the top post, senior party leaders Manmohan Singh and AK Antony said thatSonia Gandhishould continue till a new party President is elected, sources said.
The crucial meeting of theCWCis being held today after a controversy erupted over a letter by more than 20 senior leaders calling for ‘full time’ active leadership, sweeping reforms and raising questions about the party’s condition and direction,as well as demanding the election of theCWC.
Manmohan Singh,Priyanka GandhiVadra, Amarinder Singh, Mallikarjun Kharge, PL Punia, KC Venugopal and AK Antony among others are present at the virtual meeting.Sonia Gandhiwas appointed as an interim President on August 10, 2019, by theCWC, afterRahul Gandhistepped down as party chief, taking the responsibility for party’s disastrous defeat in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Congress seems divided over the issue. Gandhi family loyalists and Congress Chief Ministers took on the section of leaders who signed the letter and rallied behind the Gandhi family, calling forSonia Gandhito stay orRahul Gandhito take charge again ANI reported.
