Congress issues advisory barring partymen from speaking through media

Gag order comes a day after a group of 14 secretaries handed over a signed letter to Dwivedi addressed to party seniors

With Congress in the throes of a tussle between the old guard and the young brigade which had even taken the unprecedented step of writing a letter to the senior leaders advising them not to publicly question the party leadership; Congress Organisational General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi advised Congressmen to "refrain from giving advice to the leadership through media."

The gag order comes a day after a group of 14 secretaries handed over a signed letter to Dwivedi addressed to the party seniors.

Dwivedi while forwarding the letter to all AICC General Secretaries, CWC members conveying the concerns of the younger secretaries, also had a word of advice for both the young brigade and the seniors, "don't speak through the media".

In his accompanying advisory Dwivedi said, "I am enclosing a letter from 14 Secretaries of the AICC who have expressed concern over the public statements of some senior Congressmen regarding affairs of the party which in their view harmed the interests of the organisation. I am sure that all colleagues will take their views with due sensitivity. I am issuing separate letters to them also advising that in future they should refrain from giving such advice publicly through the media."

In their letter to Dwivedi the secretaries who were hand picked by Rahul Gandhi had stated, "We, the undersigned, have been observing and feeling very strongly that, of late, there comes a statement from different rungs of Congressmen which is not in the interest of the party." "If there is any concern it should be expressed in a very dignified manner and at an appropriate place within the party forum.....But surely not in the way which has been by some of our respected senior Congressmen."

"It should also be noted that these are the very leaders who are expressing their views in public in recent times themselves have been part and parcel of the party's highest decision making body."

Significantly, it was Digvijay Singh considered close to Rahul who had stated Gandhi's lack of media visibility contributing to the Congress' loss in the war of perception.

Perceiving it is an attack on Gandhi's leadership, the young brigade had been freely talking to the media and expressing their resentment against the seniors.

Addressing the media today party spokesperson Salman Khurshid, however, dismissed questions about the party having issued any gag order. He said, "No one has violated discipline. People are on the same side. They are on the same page."