Criticising senior Congress leaders for making public statements on internal party affairs and defaming the Gandhi family, state Congress President Nana Patole on Tuesday said that Rahul Gandhi will become the party president after following the due election process.
“I have a simple question. The BJP has governments at the Centre and at various states. You can ask their ministers, they do not run the governments but the Sangh runs them and takes the decisions. The Congress was in power at the Centre for 50 years and many got opportunities in the government for a long time. There was no interference from the Gandhi family… they were given autonomy. Why didn’t they establish themselves as pan-India leaders through their ministries? Were they stopped by the Gandhi family?” Patole said at the Express Townhall in Mumbai on Tuesday.
He was responding to a question on senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal’s statement that he wants “sab ki Congress” while others want ‘ghar ki Congress’ in the backdrop of the party’s humiliating defeat in the recent Assembly polls in five states.
“Whenever a big leader makes a statement, they should give suggestions on what should be done to take the party forward. Those leaders who are raising questions today should first talk about what they did when they got the opportunity. They should answer this question and they will get the answer,” Patole said.
He added that time has come to think about those who are making public statements on the party’s internal matter and defaming the Gandhi family.
Stating that Gandhi family is the “heart of the Congress workers”, Patole said that Rahul Gandhi will become Congress president by following due process. “Internal elections of the party are to be held now. An announcement has been made in the Congress Working Committee. The membership drive is on and will go on till March 31. After that, the internal elections will be held. The constitutional process of the party will be followed and Rahulji will become the president of the party,” he added.
“All Congress workers across the country have respect for the Gandhi family and will continue to have in future as well. Nobody can finish that. Gandhi family is the heart of the Congress workers,” said Patole.