Rift in Congress’s ‘G 23’: Stand by letter, however boundaries shouldn’t be breached: 4 leaders

FOUR SENIOR Congress leaders, who had been among the many 23 signatories of the letter despatched to celebration president Sonia Gandhi searching for reforms within the organisation final yr, on Tuesday mentioned they stand by their letter however disassociated themselves from the latest actions of a few of their colleagues in G 23, because the group of signatories has come to be often called.
One of them – former Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien – mentioned he was not in opposition to efforts to enhance the Congress and usher in much-needed reforms however argued that “the boundaries, the Lakshman rekha,” shouldn’t be breached.
Some of the G 23 leaders – Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Raj Babbar and Vivek Tankha – had been in Jammu final week in a primary such outing by them. They addressed a joint public assembly, the place potshots had been taken on the celebration management for not utilising an “experienced” chief like Azad and letting him retire from the Rajya Sabha.
A day after, on Saturday, Azad praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as somebody who “does not hide his true self”. And on Monday, Sharma lashed out on the Bengal Congress management for the “alliance” with Abbas Siddiqui’s Indian Secular Front, saying such affiliation flew within the face of the Congress’s core ideology.
Sources mentioned these leaders are planning the same occasion in Haryana within the coming weeks.
Talking to The Indian Express, Kurien mentioned, “Their activities are alright to the extent of strengthening the Congress. But it should not become a dissident activity. Certainly, there is a need for improvement in the Congress… and I am not against… if the activities are in that direction. They should proceed keeping that in mind. I don’t know the details of the Jammu event. Only when I get full details can I say whether it was a dissident activity or an effort to strengthen the party.”

“I am not against efforts to strengthen and rectify the Congress. I believe that is needed. But the boundaries, the Lakshman rekha, should be kept in mind. It should not become a dissident activity. As for the comments regarding Bengal, their stand should not help in defeating the Congress… that should be borne in mind….”
Former Lok Sabha MP Sandeep Dikshit mentioned, “There is no group. Twenty-three leaders had signed the letter. Now what they are doing is… these 5-6 must be doing something. I, for example, have no idea. It is not a group. It is just a collection of people who expressed an opinion. We stand by that opinion. What individuals would do or groups within the groups would do or others would do… that is their concern.”
Dikshit mentioned he doesn’t consider Azad praised Modi. “It is best to ask him… I have not been in touch with them.”
Senior Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Singh mentioned, “The issues which were raised in the letter regarding elections to all forums… on that I am a part of. I have no interest in saying that the Prime Minister is very good. The letter we signed was for internal party democracy of which I still hold that it is right… the rest everybody is entitled to their own opinion…. I have full faith in the leadership of Sonia Gandhi which the letter also says.”
Like the others, he mentioned he was not knowledgeable concerning the Jammu occasion.
Former Union Minister and senior Congress chief M Veerappa Moily mentioned the letter was for a restricted function and perpetuation of any actions within the identify of that letter can be akin to abusing it because it was despatched with a real honest hope for rejuvenating the celebration.
“G 23 is not an institution like G 20…. When elections are going [to be held] for five states, this is not an appropriate time to discuss any matters related to the party… No sooner did we give the memorandum, madam Sonia Gandhi immediately called a Working Committee meeting… it was also decided to hold the elections. That was enough. That is the only limited agenda.”
On the Jammu occasion, he mentioned: “None of us intended to go and none of us were invited for such a meeting. I don’t want to be one of the (members) of any dissident groups. I have been loyal to the party and I want to continue in this party… So I have already disassociated myself.”