Unfolding CWC Meet: From stepping down to maintaining post of Cong interim president

Hours after the high-octane drama at the CWC meeting, Sonia Gandhi will continue as the interim president of the Congress party for now. A detailed timeline of the Congress Working Committee meeting which lasted for 7 hours on Monday after Sonia offered to step down from the party's top post.

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday questioned the timing of the letter by a section of the party and attacked them for going public against the leadership, saying differences needed to be discussed in party platforms and not the media.

He also insinuated that the letter seeking leadership changes was written in cahoots with the BJP, as it came at a time when Sonia Gandhi was hospitalised and the party was fighting with the BJP in Rajasthan to save its government, sources said.

Unfolding CWC Meet: From stepping down to stretching post of Cong interim president

The charge invited sharp rebuttals from former minister Ghulam Nabi Azad at the meeting. Azad said he would resign if any such link with the BJP is established.

However, hours after the political drama, Azad makes a U-turn and said that neither in CWC or outside, Rahul mentioned about collusion with BJP.

• What I said was, yesterday some Congress person had said that we did it at behest of BJP & in that context I said "It is most unfortunate that some colleagues (outside CWC) have accused us of collusion with BJP, and if those people can prove this allegation, I will resign".

  — Ghulam Nabi Azad (@ghulamnazad) August 24, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  What I said was, yesterday some Congress person had said that we did it at behest of BJP & in that context I said "It is most unfortunate that some colleagues (outside CWC) have accused us of collusion with BJP, and if those people can prove this allegation, I will resign".

  — Ghulam Nabi Azad (@ghulamnazad) August 24, 2020

  ">

  What I said was, yesterday some Congress person had said that we did it at behest of BJP & in that context I said "It is most unfortunate that some colleagues (outside CWC) have accused us of collusion with BJP, and if those people can prove this allegation, I will resign".

  — Ghulam Nabi Azad (@ghulamnazad) August 24, 2020

In his brief moving intervention at the CWC, Rahul Gandhi is learnt to have said why that timing was chosen to send the letter when Sonia Gandhi was in the hospital and the party was fighting the BJP in Rajasthan, insinuating that such a letter at the time would help the BJP.

Azad, who is one of the signatories of the letter, read out the contents, saying the leaders are not questioning Sonia Gandhi and only wanted organisational reform in the larger interest of the party.

Echoes of the fiery CWC meeting which is underway were also heard outside with former minister Kapil Sibal, another signatory to the letter, publicly questioning Rahul's remarks insinuating a BJP link to the letter seeking sweeping changes to party organisation and elections to the CWC.

Sibal later withdrew his tweet hitting out at Rahul Gandhi and said the former party chief had informed him personally that he had never made the "colluding with the BJP" remark.

As the CWC meeting was underway on Monday and it was reported that Rahul Gandhi had lashed out at the letter writers, 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".

"Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue. Yet 'we are colluding with the BJP'!", he tweeted.

Sibal said a little later that he was withdrawing the tweet, saying, "Was informed by Rahul Gandhi personally that he never said what was attributed to him. I, therefore, withdraw my tweet."

• Was informed by Rahul Gandhi personally that he never said what was attributed to him .
  
  I therefore withdraw my tweet .

  — Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) August 24, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Was informed by Rahul Gandhi personally that he never said what was attributed to him .
  
  I therefore withdraw my tweet .

  — Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) August 24, 2020

  ">

  Was informed by Rahul Gandhi personally that he never said what was attributed to him .
  
  I therefore withdraw my tweet .

  — Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) August 24, 2020

Tagging Sibal's earlier tweet, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also tweeted, saying Rahul Gandhi hasn't said a word of this nature nor alluded to it.

"Please don't be misled by false media discourse or misinformation being spread. But yes, we all need to work together in fighting the draconian Modi rule rather than fighting and hurting each other and the Congress," Surjewala said.

Earlier addressing the CWC, Rahul Gandhi said Sonia Gandhi had accepted the party presidentship only after the committee last year urged her to take responsibility.

He took on the leaders who went public with their complaints saying, "it is the CWC where we discuss our differences and put out our thoughts, not the media,".

Hours after the high-octane drama at the CWC meeting, Sonia Gandhi will continue as the interim president of the Congress party for now.

Sources said while CWC members talked of the election of a new president in one year, party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that the process should start in six months. They said a session of AICC session is likely to be convened in six months and a new president will be elected. Many leaders demanded Rahul Gandhi should again take the post of party chief.

(With inputs from PTI)