Updated: August 30, 2020 6:56:39 am
Kapil Sibal said that Congress always accuses the BJP of not following the Constitution and destroying the foundations of democracy.
None of the concerns they had raised were addressed, or even shared, at the Congressional Working Committee meeting and no leaders intervened when those who wrote the letter were attacked, said senior leader Kapil Sibal, one of 23 signatories to the the unprecedented Letter calling for reforms in the party.
Talking to The Indian Express, which one reported for the first time in the letter last SundaySibal said Saturday that Congress needs a “de jure and de facto president” and that the concerns outlined in the letter must be addressed “as soon as possible.”
He said Congress always accuses the BJP of not following the Constitution and destroying the foundations of democracy. “What do we want? We want adherence to the Constitution of our (party). Who can object to that?” He said.
“Politics in this country, I’m not talking about any particular party, is now based mainly on loyalty. We need what is called loyalty plus. What is that more? That plus is merit, inclusion, commitment to the cause and that plus is about being able to listen and dialogue. This is what politics should be, ”he said.
The letter sought “effective, full-time leadership” that is both “visible” and “active” in the field; elections to the CWC; and the urgent establishment of an “institutional leadership mechanism” to “collectively” guide the party’s resurgence.
But the debate that the letter triggered within the party inevitably became a test of loyalty to top ministers and state units. Pledging allegiance to the Gandhis and the CWC signatories were effectively marginalized.
Read the full interview with Kapil Sibal here
Sibal said the CWC should have been informed of what the letter said. “That is the fundamental thing that should have happened. This is what these 23 people have written. If you find fault with something we have written, then surely we can be questioned and should be questioned. “
“But if you don’t talk about substance and you talk about time or the fact that we write, that in itself is an example of distancing from the cause. And that has what happened. No request from us, our concern, reflected in the letter has been sought to be addressed at that meeting. Not one. However, we are called dissidents, ”Sibal said.
Read also | Congress in Crisis: Past Times and What’s Different Now
Although the letter was not discussed, “in the course of the meeting (CWC) they called us traitors and no one present at that meeting, including the leaders, told them that this is not the type of language” used in the Congress. “Our letter … every part of it was expressed in very civilized language,” he said.
When asked why no Congressional leader has so far endorsed the 23 leaders, Sibal said: “In politics, people say something publicly and think otherwise in private. They say something outside for someone else’s consumption and they say something different inside. “
“I think people across the country, whether they belong to the Congress party or not… everyone expresses appreciation for our concerns. So obviously there is a public sentiment that appreciates our desire to rejuvenate Congress. If Congress is not, the opposition is not. We (Congress) have to be the axis around which the opposition’s wheel turns, ”he said.
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay up to date with the latest headlines
For the latest news about India, download the Indian Express app.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
.
