Crack between India and Congress, both have started thinking differently: Tewari after Azad's exit
Senior Congress MP Manish Tewari on Saturday said he did not want to discuss the merits of Ghulam Nabi Azad's resignation letter that castigated the leadership but felt that it was "laughable" when "people who till yesterday were 'chaprasis' of leaders" were giving "gyaan" about the party.
He said India and Congress have started thinking differently unlike earlier and Congress has lost all the Assembly elections since a group of 23 leaders, including Tewari, wrote to party chief Sonia Gandhi warning her that the situation was "worrying and should be taken seriously".
Tewari's comments came a day after Azad wrote a stinging letter that read as an indictment of “non-serious” Rahul Gandhi whose “immaturity” and “childish” actions led to “comprehensively” destroying the party. Azad also brought Sonia under the line of fire saying that after she appointed Rahul as Vice President, the party was "comprehensively destroyed".
"I do not want to go into the merits of Azad's letter. He would be in the best position to explain why or what the context of that letter is. That letter is in the public space and it speaks for itself," the Lok Sabha MP, who has taken views divergent to party positions on issues, told ANI.
"But it suffices to say at times it is strange of Quixotic that people who do not have the capacity to even fight a ward election, what to talk of winning an election, people who till yesterday were 'chaprasis' (peons) of Congress leaders, give 'gyaan' about the party. It is laughable -- for the lack of a better word," Tewari said.
He does not need a certificate from anyone, as he has given 42 years to Congress, he said adding those who wrote the letter have spent more time. "I have said this before. We are not tenants of this institution, we are members. Now if you try to push out, that is another matter. We will see," he said.
He said the party is in a "serious situation" and that he thinks the "regrettable" and "unfortunate" thing perhaps could have been "avoidable".
Tewari recalled the G-23 letter two years ago and said a crack seems to have appeared in the coordination between "India and Congress" as both do not think alike as earlier. Since the letter, he said, the party has lost all Assembly elections.
"A self-introspection was needed. I feel that had the consensus arrived at the meeting at Sonia Gandhi's residence on 20 December 2020 been executed, this situation would not have arrived," he said.