New Delhi: Following the row over Ghulam Nabi Azad's remark that the structure of the Congress party has collapsed, the party responded in a virtual press conference stating that each member of the party should introspect. The party members also asserted that there should be a code of conduct in the confiding party's internal affairs.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that one needs to introspect."As a spokesperson of the party, I need to introspect on whether I should improve my performance, whether I am going wrong in a particular direction, whether I need to make some corrections. Likewise, on the responsibilities that our colleagues have, each one them should look within. Instead of just talking about others, let us talk about oneself," he said.
Azad said in an interview on November 22 that the Congress is at its 72 years low and a "five-star culture" has been burgeoning in the party, losing the party of its grassroots connections. Earlier, veteran Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and P Chidambaram had said that people do not consider the Congress as a "viable alternative" and the party needs a serious organisational overhaul.
"These senior leaders whom we have grown up learning from, should teach us the lesson of not going public with any of their concerns, particularly when they could just pick up the phone and talk to anyone when they are nominated members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) when they have occupied important positions and power in the Government as well as in the party," said Pawan Khera while responding to a question on Congress infighting.
Read: No rebellion in Congress, looking for reforms, says Ghulam Nabi Azad
He further added, "Raising such concerns publicly needs to be avoided. There are platforms available within the party and these forums are accessible to these leaders. We have grown up learning discipline from our senior leaders and we expect to continue learning the same discipline from them."
He also called the discussion and introspection of party's loss in various elections as an "ongoing exercise", while mentioning that the party held a meeting of the advisory committee last week which discussed party's performance in recent elections.
Meanwhile, Congress Member of Parliament, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary once again hit out at the senior leaders who expressed dissent over Congress structure saying that these leaders should "look into a mirror and do introspection".
Earlier as well, Choudhary had attacked Sibal and other leaders by saying that those who are criticizing Congress party can join some other party or start a new one, instead of indulging in "embarrassing activities."
Also read : Sibal, Chidambaram not wrong but retrospection does not mean removal of Gandhis: Azad
