Target BJP, not us: dissenters tell Congress

Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Thursday hit out at a section of party workers for seeking the ouster of Jitin Prasada, who was one of the 23 signatories to a letter seeking sweeping changes within the organisation.

“Unfortunate that Jitin Prasada is being officially targeted in UP. Congress needs to target the BJP with surgical strikes instead of wasting its energy by targeting its own,” Sibal said.

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Former union minister Manish Tewari, also among the dissenters, concurred with Sibal. “Prescient,” said Tewari, who represents Anandpur Sahib in the Lok Sabha.

The Lakhimpur Kheri district Congress Committee had adopted a resolution seeking action against Prasada and 22 other signatories to the letter seeking a more “visible and active” leadership and a full-time Congress President to steer the Congress party.

The letter to the Congress President was seen as dissent against the leadership and its authors were slammed by colleagues at a meeting of the Congress Working Committee on Monday.

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Though the letter writers were slammed by the leaders, Congress President Sonia Gandhi adopted a forgive and forget approach and had asked the party to move ahead.

The CWC also announced that Gandhi, 73, would continue as Congress President till her successor is elected at a session of the AICC. The CWC had also decided to appoint a four-member committee to assist the Congress President in day-to-day functioning of the party.

The dissenters have stood their ground saying they would wait and watch on how the party responds to their call for changes in the organisation.