Congress distances from Digvijay Singh’s statement thanking German official over Rahul’s disqualification

This was the second time that the party had to distance itself from the veteran known for his controversial statements which often end up giving an opportunity to the BJP to question the grand old party, reports ETV Bharat's Amit Agnihotri.

New Delhi:The Congress on Thursday again distanced itself from Digvijay Singh, hours after the veteran welcomed a statement critical of Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the German foreign ministry.

This was the second time that the party had to distance itself from the veteran known for his controversial statements which often end up giving an opportunity to the BJP to question the grand old party.

“The Congress firmly believes that India’s democratic processes themselves have to deal with the threats posed to our democracy by Mr Modi’s assault on our institutions and his politics of vendetta, intimidation, threats and harassment. The Congress and the opposition parties will take him on fearlessly,” Congress communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh tweeted.

The party’s official remarks came hours after Digvijay Singh upset many within the Congress system by welcoming a German Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressing concern over Rahul’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha after he was convicted and sentenced to two-year jail term in a 2029 defamation case involving PM Modi’s name.

Digvijay’s remarks put the Congress in a bind as the party had been recently defending Rahul Gandhi from the BJP’s allegations that the former Congress had defamed India in the United Kingdom by saying that democracy was in danger.

The BJP had even alleged that Rahul had urged western powers to intervene in the situation to which the Congress had countered saying the former Congress chief categorically said that Indian democracy was a public good and since it involved millions of people, it also impacted the global democracy. The Congress had also pointed out that Rahul specifically said that solutions to the problems related to Indian democracy will come from within the country.

“There was no need for a very senior Congress leader to thank the German foreign ministry for their recent statement on Indian politics. It is bad optics and then Congress wonders why they have lost the position of being India’s default nationalist organization. Of course countries will watch with keen interest what goes on in India, just as we watch other nations. But to thank them is ridiculous. Rahul Gandhi is a patriot who will fight the political battle within India both legally and politically and will emerge victorious,” Congress sympathizer Tehseen Poonawala had said.

Earlier, as Congress communications chief, Ramesh had to issue a rejoinder to Digvijay Singh’s controversial statements seeking proof for the counter strikes in the Pak-Occupied Kashmir in response to the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in which 40 jawans had been killed when Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra was in Jammu and Kashmir in January.

Singh’s remarks had been cited by the BJP to slam the Congress forcing Rahul to visit the blast site and offer floral tributes to the jawans who had lost their lives. Later, Ramesh also had to intervene physically during the yatra to stop Singh from discussing the Pulwama issue with a TV channel.

A few days later, during a presser Rahul had publicly snubbed Singh for whatever he had said on the counter strikes to the Pulwama terror attack, saying the grand old party had great respect for the Indian army and its valour.