Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal hit out at Rahul Gandhi on Monday over his reported remarks that the leaders who have written to Sonia Gandhi for organisational overhaul were “colluding with the BJP”.
Though the CWC meet is underway, it was reported that Rahul Gandhi had lashed out at the leaders who wrote to Sonia Gandhi, Sibal tweeted.
“Rahul says ‘we are colluding with BJP’. Succeeded in Rajasthan High Court defending the Congress Party. Defending party in Manipur to bring down BJP government,” he said.
“Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue. Yet ‘we are colluding with the BJP’!” Sibal tweeted.
At the CWC meet, Sonia Gandhi told the party that she will quit as the interim chief amid divisions in the party over leadership.
After asking the CWC to relieve her of the post, she urged the party to start the process to find the new party chief.
“A year has lapsed now. In the interest of the party, I ask CWC to begin deliberations to put in a place of process of transition to relieve me from my duties,” said Sonia Gandhi in a statement at the CWC meeting.
Sibal is among the 23 party leaders who have written to Sonia Gandhi seeking a “full-time” leadership that is active in the field and “visible” in party offices, dissolution of powers to state units and revamping the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in line with the party constitution, among other changes.
Meanwhile, senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, expressing his discontent over ‘colluding with BJP’ remarks made my former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, said he would resign if any such link is established.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is one of the signatories of the letter, said that the leaders are not questioning Sonia Gandhi but only wanted organisational reform in the larger interest of the party.
The party is divided on the leadership matter with a section demanding collective leadership and another reposing faith in the Gandhi family.
Top Congress leaders are expected to deliberate on the issue during the meeting of the party’s top decision-making body that is being held virtually.
Sonia took over as interim chief on August 10, 2019 after Rahul stepped down taking responsibility for the party’s Lok Sabha debacle.