Congress' strict warning to warring Raj leaders

Jaipur, Nov 30

The Congress high command has ordered a ceasefire between the warring camps of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former deputy CM Sachin Pilot in view of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, which enters Rajasthan in the first week of December.

Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal warned the leaders against making statements against each other.

In a meeting of the party leaders held in the Congress war room in Jaipur, the Congress General Secretary said, "if anyone violates the guidelines and makes statements against party leaders, they will be removed from the post in 24 hours."

"Now is not the time to weaken the party by making statements against each other. If we fight among ourselves then how will we compete with BJP? Despite my guidelines, the kind of statements made by many ministers and leaders in the past have sent a wrong message to the people."

Venugopal held the meeting to take stock of the preparations for the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

During the meeting, he also expressed displeasure over the questions raised by Congress' Punjab in-charge Harish Chowdhary. When Venugopal asked to stop the rhetoric, Harish Chowdhary counter-questioned that "if a leader has any feelings, how would he express them?" On this, Venugopal expressed displeasure against Chowdhary in an almost reprimanding tone.

Venugopal said, "When a leader sitting in responsible positions like you talks like this, then what can be expected from the rest. No one will give any statement outside. This guideline has already been issued, after that what more is left to say?"

A major political crisis erupted in Rajasthan Congress on September 25 when the Congress MLAs called a parallel meeting to an official meeting called by Congress high command. Since then, the leaders have been levelling allegations against each other.