Congress will become a social welfare organisation, says former Cong leader

While speaking over the current scenario within the grand old party, Bhubaneswar Kalita, Veteran Congress leader turned BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Assam said that Congress should change it's working module, else will last as a 'social welfare organisation'. He asserted that those leaders overruled the ideas of the Gandhi family, have given a tag of BJP supporter.

New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader turned BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Assam, Bhubaneswar Kalita on Monday said that the Congress will be totally destructed in the coming days and "It will be merely a social welfare organisation."

"The way Congress party is functioning, it's going towards destructions. I have also mentioned in my resignation letter the same. And the present developments reflect my points," said Kalita, in an exclusive interview to ETV Bharat, who resigned from Congress last year to join BJP.

He resigned from Congress over differences with party leadership adding that the present Congress is not like the old Congress party.

Referring to the letter signed by 23 senior Congress leaders written to party president Sonia Gandhi, Kalita said that the letter written by them raised some valid points.

"The leaders tried to highlight what is happening inside the party and what should be done within the party," said Kalita.

But instead of talking on the concern mentioned in the letter, the sincerity of the leaders came under the scanner. They were questioned, said Kalita.

"I know many of the Congress leaders with whom I have relation for the last 35-40 years. They served the party for their entire life. These leaders have earlier defended the party on many occasions, whether it's inside Parliament or outside Parliament," said Kalita.

He said that people who raised this kind of "serious issues" their sincerity came under question and even they are branded as BJP supporters.

"When Jyotiraditya Scindia was there, he was accused by the Congress leaders for hobnobbing with BJP. Sachin Pilot was also criticised in the same way," said Kalita and added, "no leader will accept such allegations if they were criticised of no-fault."

When asked whether Congress will have a non-Gandhi party president, Kalita referred to Mahatma Gandhi and said this party (Congress) should have been wined up.

"Once Mahatma Gandhi had said that Congress will be changed after independence. Congress should work as a social welfare organisation. It should not remain as a political party," said Kalita.

Controversy remains alive on an article written by Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 which was published in Harijan, in which he suggested that now that Congress has achieved its historical goal, it had "outlived its use" and ought to be transformed into a social welfare organisation.

However, historians opposed such statement and claimed that "this was wrongly interpreted."

"The present situation shows that Congress is going in that direction only," added Kalita.

The BJP MP from Assam suggests that Congress need a reform. "But whoever speaks about reform, they are branded as BJP supporters...this is a very bad trend," he said.

Kalita was nominated as a Rajya Sabha MP by BJP in March this year.

"BJP is a disciplined party. Everyone has the freedom to work here. This party has a leader and everyone follow that leader. All are sevak here," said Kalita who was earlier Congress MP for several terms. He was also Minister in Assam Government during Congress regime.