New Delhi: Congress veterans came out in defense of the high command under attack from Ghulam Nabi Azad by citing Sonia Gandhi’s personal contribution to restrengthening the grand old party and their own preference for service over rewards.
Congress veteran Mohsina Kidwai, 90 who served in the CWC for long years, and Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, recalled how Sonia Gandhi was reluctant to join active politics but agreed after several of them urged her to take over the reins of the party to save the Congress.
“Yes, I remember she was not willing to join politics. We urged her to become party chief so the Congress could be saved. There were several groups operating in the party and things were going downhill,” Kidwai told this reporter. Kidwai said she was saddened and shocked why a veteran like Ghulam Nabi Azad left the party after being a member for around 50 years.
“Azad got everything in the party. I wonder why he did not raise all the issues he is raising today when he held key posts in the government and party. I have been saddened by his resignation,” said Kidwai.
“Whenever I felt strongly about an issue and believed it was not in the party's interest, I would go and brief Indira Ji about it. I did the same with Rajivji and Soniaji. All of them have done a lot to build Congress. When we were in positions, we thought of the party first,” she said.
Also Read: Can Rahul stay in the PM race as seniors quit blaming sycophants?
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, whose name had recently figured prominently as possible non-Gandhi party chief, recalled his early years when then prime minister Indira Gandhi headed the party and her son Sanjay Gandhi had emerged as “an extra-constitutional authority”. Gehlot noted that Sanjay Gandhi introduced several youngsters to politics, including Azad, who went on to hold a key party and government positions over the past 42 years.
Gehlot acknowledged that even though he did not appreciate Sanjay Gandhi’s style of functioning, he stayed with the party and grew in the organization.
“Only a few from among the lakhs get a chance to hold senior party posts and be in government. This decision is always very tough for the high command. In the case of Azad, he got almost everything from being state unit chief, chief minister, union minister, and Rajya Sabha member to leader of the opposition. I was shocked at his resignation,” said Gehlot, adding that Azad had been a friend and colleague for four decades.
The Rajasthan chief minister highlighted Sonia Gandhi’s role saying she was not keen to join active politics and decided to take over the reins of the party only when several leaders like him requested her in 1996 to do so. Sonia became party president in 1998. “We urged her to take charge and save the Congress. Whatever we are today, it is because of the Congress association,” said Gehlot, in a subtle hint to Azad.
According to Anil Shastri, son of former prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and a senior Congress leader, Azad’s decision was self-centered. “It is sad to see the selfish attitude of Ghulam Nabi Azad,” said Shastri.
Also Read: Key highlights of Azad's resignation letter to Congress
Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Harish Rawat has accused Ghulam Nabi Azad of betraying the party and referred to him as the 'B' team of BJP. Rawat took to social media to target Azad and in a long tweet he said, "Ghulam Nabi Azad has announced to break ties with the party by making many excuses only to become the 'B' team of BJP but in future, he will have to regret his decision, as he will only be restricted as a 'B' team of BJP."
He also claimed that the resignation of Ghulam Nabi Azad will not have any impact on the morale of the party workers and on the Congress party as well.
Sandeep Dikshit, son of former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and a former MP, who was one of the signatories to the 2020 letter written by Azad-led G23 to Sonia Gandhi, said he had associated with the effort so the Congress could be revamped and restrengthened. “It was never intended to stage a revolt. The party needed improvements so it could become strong and the leadership could be strong,” he said.
While the veterans defended Sonia Gandhi, the younger lot in the grand old party like Tamil Nadu Congress working president Mohan Kumarmangalam and party lawmakers from the state Jothimani and Manickam Tagore came out in defense of Rahul Gandhi and questioned Azad’s contribution as a former AICC general secretary.
“Azadji’s claim that he did a great job as general secretary is pure fiction. He did nothing to build the party in Tamil Nadu with his own coterie making alliance and candidate selection decisions that led to a spectacular failure in 2011 and a self-goal in 2006 when we could but did not join the DMK government,” he said.
“Azadji did not mention the states he was in charge of for decades and the fate of such states. This is much before Rahul Gandhi took over as vice president in 2013. Rahulji wanted internal democracy to empower the cadre rather than accumulating decision-making in his hands,” she said.
Manickam Tagore, who is AICC general secretary in charge of Telangana said: “We are pained to hear all this. Azadji is speaking the language of the BJP. He worked with the Congress for 41 years and had a bungalow in Delhi. It is unfortunate that the kind of language he is using now. This is not acceptable to the workers.”
