Cong MP praises RSS for dedication, embarrasses party

A day after the Congress session in Surajkund, which was marked by austerity, reports have emerged of a party MP embarrassing it with his remarks praising RSS workers for their dedication and criticising Congress leaders for "shutting themselves" in air-conditioned chambers.

Congress MP from Dewas Sajjan Singh Verma said RSS workers are better than Congress leaders because they work with dedication.

"RSS workers work for their party with dedication, surviving on `chana' (gram), while our leaders don't step out of AC chambers," he said addressing party workers at Neemuch two days ago.

Noting that the party is going through a tough period, he said, "Our senior leaders offer lip service that we will win in 2013. As long as senior leaders of Congress put themselves in shoes of grassroot functionaries, mission 2013 is not easy.

"The leaders in Delhi are not bothered, they are happy with their own work. But when it
comes to touring the jungles of MP, our leaders are unwilling to come out of their AC comforts. BJP has the support of the RSS. Without the RSS, BJP leaders are doing the same. The RSS functionary known what mission 2013 is. He knows how to win," he said.
Verma had also blamed the party leaders for factionalism.

However, yesterday Verma denied that he had made the statement.
"I did not say that RSS is more disciplined than Congress. I said that Sangh's functionaries lack facilities but do work. Our workers have the spirit but not the backing of top leaders. That is why is some respect they become weak," he said.

His remarks have emerged a day after Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, in a symbolic message of austerity, took a bus ride along with other leaders to Surajkund in Haryana for a dialogue session.

Reacting to Verma's statement, senior Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in MP Assembly Ajay Singh said that party workers were working unitedly and would ensure its victory in the next year's Assembly elections.