The infighting within the Haryana unit of the Congress appeared to be far from over with two prominent state leaders skipping here on Saturday a key party function chaired by senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar and its former legislature party leader Kiran Chaudhary skipped a function held for former Union minister Kumari Selja and former state Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to take over as the party's state president and the chairman of its state election management committee respectively.
The absence of the two key party leaders left Azad explaining and lamenting their absence in the same breath.
There is no question of groupism (within state unit)," asserted Azad.
"They could not have come because of some some reason," hazarded Azad, when asked about the absence of Tanwar and Chaudhary.
But the two should have attended the function, he added hastily.
It (change in organisation) is a continuous process. Change is there always in organisation. Nobody continues to occupy one post for his whole life, Azad told reporters.
After Congress high command replaced Tanwar and Chaudhary ahead of the upcoming state assembly elections, their supporters and loyalists had expressed disappointment over the decision.
Azad, however, praised both Tanwar and Chaudhary for their contributions in strengthening the party.
The party felt the responsibility should be given to those who have long experience in administration and organisation. But it does not mean that the former CLP leader or the former state unit president were weak leaders," said Azad.
"Under their leadership, one or two elections had already been fought. The party felt there should be a new team for the third elections, said Azad, who is party affairs in-charge for Haryana.
While addressing the gathering earlier, Azad said, Whenever there is an organisational change in the party, it should be welcomed. One should not feel bad about it or feel disappointed.
He said he was of the opinion that there should be a change in office bearers every two-three years.
Addressing the media later, Azad said after the announcement of the names of new state unit president and the chairman of the Congress' state election management committee, a new hope has emerged among every section of society in Haryana.
Asked if he did not feel the party had delayed in announcing the change, he conceded, saying "Yes.
But he added, "It is past now."
Azad also lashed out at the BJP, saying the BJP-led Union government is "TV government" and that they have changed the rules of winning elections.
They have changed the parameters of winning polls. There should not be any work and all the work should be shown only on TV. I always tell PM in Parliament that your government is a TV government. On a day when TV does not show it, nobody will come to know there is government in the country, he alleged.
The senior Congress leaders also accused the government of keeping TV channel owners under the duress of central investigative agencies like Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Today, they are forcing everyone to work against their wishes. Therefore this is not a fight for us to come to power. It is a second fight for the democracy. First one was against foreign dictators and the second one is against the 'desi' dictators, he said.
There should be no discrimination against the opposition. They should not be sent to jails. We never run the government, misusing the ED, NIA or CBI against those who spoke against the government. We never formed government by dividing people on religious lines, said Azad.
Addressing the gathering earlier, Azad said in the upcoming elections, the party will try to give tickets to representatives of 36 biradris (communities) in Haryana.
We will try to give ticket to women and youths covering every section of the society, he said.
He said the party would soon set up three committees to prepare manifesto, determine election strategy and to chalk out the campaign plans.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
