Veteran Congress leader Kapil Sibal has clarified that the party leaders who had written a letter to Sonia Gandhi regarding the leadership were in no way on the defensive and stood their ground.
Speaking exclusively to India Today TV on the recent letter controversy, Kapil Sibal said the letter raised pertinent issues and that he was dismayed at the ‘Jaichand’ and ‘traitor’ jibes used for those who spoke up.
Party needs a revival plan
“We wrote a letter to highlight certain issues, the party is at its historic low and a revival plan is the need of the hour. We want to be partners in that revival. People haven’t read the letter. If they did, they would know that this was not to show anyone down or tarnish the Gandhi family. We have in fact praised the leadership and appreciated their contribution but we need reforms too,” said the senior advocate.
During the dramatic CWC meeting, the leader, known for his wit and astuteness, reacted on Twitter and slammed Rahul Gandhi for alleging that the leaders were colluding with the BJP. However, he had later withdrawn the tweet after Rahul Gandhi called him up to clarify.
Need to abide by the party constitution
Recalling the glorious past of the party, Sibal said, “We have a commitment towards the constitution of the party and the legacy of a party where we have served for more than 30 years. We have absolute conviction that Congress needs to inspire others to follow and to stand up against a government which has destroyed the very foundation of this country”.
He added, “I am well aware of the constitution of the party. The letter has simply spelt out the various structures that have been absent and need to be reinstalled. These are also elaborated in the constitution of the party. Just like it’s our duty to stand for the Constitution of the country, it is our duty to ensure that we abide by the constitution of the party as well.”
The letter sent to the Congress president had pointed out the fact that several structures and committees have been defunct for decades and there was a need for a mechanism to infuse and energize the cadre.
Dismayed by ‘Jaichand’ jibe
Referring to the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting that saw the dissenters being attacked by the other members, Kapil Sibal said that the party stood for democratic principles and what happened in the meeting was disappointing.
“I am appalled that words like ‘Jaichand’ were used and it was said that the letter was ill-intentioned. Before tagging the signatories as ‘traitors’, the content of the letter should have been circulated so that others would know that this was about strengthening and rejuvenating the party. Not a single uncivilised word was used in the letter. Despite this, no one was stopped from making uncouth comments in the CWC meet. It’s unfortunate that such language was allowed at the meeting of the highest decision-making body of the party and no one was checked for the same, said the former Union Minister.
Leaders being targeted
Kapil Sibal also responded to how Congress’ Lakhimpur Kheri unit targeted Jitin Prasada, one of the signatories of the letter, saying that it was a brazen display of sycophancy.
“It’s a serious matter that the alleged audio clip that went viral indicates that Jitin was targeted at the behest of seniors leaders. This is merely to dampen the spirit of those who stood for the welfare of the party and took this step. It is the job of sycophants to please their masters,” he said.
The future
When asked where Congress party was headed and whether he is hopeful that they would get answers, Sibal said, “We have nothing to gain. We only want the best interest of the party and have no fear of losing. We are sticking together and we only hope that the leadership will give serious thought to the suggestions that we have made. We will wait. We are all seasoned politicians and are looking forward to the leadership to respond.”
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