Several other change seekers termed the incident “command performance”, “hooliganism“, “violation of the Congress culture”, an attempt to “suppress” expression of opinion and demanded that interim party chief Sonia Gandhi take action against the guilty. They also said it was Sibal who legally defended the Congress, party’s governments and leaders in many cases. Incidentally, Sibal led the legal team that secured bail for the Gandhis in the National Herald case. The AICC remained silent on the incident.
Senior-most CWC member Ghulam Nabi Azad said: “I strongly condemn the orchestrated hooliganism @KapilSibal’s residence last night. He is a loyal Congressman fighting for the party both inside and outside Parliament. Any suggestion from any quarter should be welcomed instead of suppressing. Hooliganism is unacceptable.”
Seeking Gandhi’s intervention, Congress leader Anand Sharma said: “This deplorable action brings disrepute to the party and needs to be strongly condemned. Congress has a history of upholding freedom of expression. Differences of opinion and perception are integral to a democracy. Intolerance and violence are alien to Congress values and culture. Those responsible must be identified and disciplined.” He urged Gandhi to “take strong action.”
Manish Tewari said: “Those who masterminded the assault must bear in mind that he fights for @INCIndia both inside and outside courts of law. You may find his views uncomfortable but that cannot be a license for violence.” Terming the vandalism a “command performance”, Tewari said, “they damaged the car, stood on top, so it caved in; threw tomatoes both outside and inside the house”.
Shashi Tharoor said it was shameful. “We all know @Kapil Sibal as a true Congressman who has fought multiple cases in court for @INCIndia… We need to listen to what he has to say, disagree if you must, but not in this way…” Vivek Tankha added: “Never to a person who has fought and saved so many Congress governments and persons and unmade opposition governments…” Raj Babbar said: “Don’t unleash mob power on ideological co-travellers. You will look more pitiful in front of ideological rivals.”
Bhupinder Hooda tweeted: “Orchestrated hooliganism outside @KapilSibal’s residence last night is not the culture of Congress.”
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who is not part of the group of change seekers, said: “I feel helpless when we cannot start meaningful conversations within party forums. I also feel hurt and helpless when I see pictures of Congress workers raising slogans outside the residence of a colleague and MP. The safe harbour to which one can withdraw seems to be silence.”
Karti Chidambaram retweeted the related tweets of Sharma, Tewari and Tharoor. After his in-house rival TS Singh Deo criticised Sibal’s comments, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel too criticised Sibal. However, his MLAs are camping in Delhi warning Gandhis against any Punjab-like experiment in the state.