A day after veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad severed ties with the Congress, party leader Manish Tewari slammed those mouthing platitudes about winning elections and criticising Azad.
While speaking to news agency ANI, Tewari remarked, “I don’t want to go into merits of Mr Azad’s letter. He would be in the best position to explain the letter and its context. The letter is in the public space. It speaks for itself.”
The former Information and Broadcasting Minister then went on to shut down party subordinates, who now hold positions of power within the Congress and are giving ‘gyaan’ to senior party leaders.”
#WATCH | Congress MP M Tewari says, “Don’t want to go into merits of Mr Azad’s letter, he’d be in best position to explain…But strange that people who don’t have capacity to fight a ward poll, were “chaprasis” of Congress leaders when give “gyaan” about party it’s laughable…” pic.twitter.com/9dKLO2y2S8
— ANI (@ANI) August 27, 2022
“Suffice to say, at times, it it strange that people who don’t have the capacity to even fight or win an ward election, served as chaprasis of Congress leaders are giving “gyaan” about the Congress party. It is laughable for the lack of a better word,” he emphasised.
Manish Tewari concluded, “We are in a serious situation. We have been in a serious situation. I believe what happened is regrettable, unfortunate and perhaps in my estimation, avoidable.”
Soon after, social media users began speculating as to who the Congress ‘chaprasi’ might be in the eyes of the former I&B Minister. Popular Twitter user Ankur Singh hinted that the junior Congress worker, who carried messages for the party’s high command, could be Pawan Khera.
Guess who’s this Congress ka Chaprasi? pic.twitter.com/ssWdvtPCUk
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) August 27, 2022
Activist Shefali Vaidya inquired whether Tewari was hinting at RS Surjewal, Jairam Ramesh or Pawan Khera.
Which chaprasi is he referring to exactly? @Jairam_Ramesh, @Pawankhera or @rssurjewala? pic.twitter.com/FTan4rsfs0
— Shefali Vaidya. 🇮🇳 (@ShefVaidya) August 27, 2022
Another user stated, “Ajay Maken would be perfect to fit in this position. He has lost all elections from Vidhan Sabha, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.”
Ajay Maken would be perfect to fit in this position. Banda Vidhan sabha se leke Loksabha even Rajaya Sabha tak ka election haar gya hai 🤣
— Jahazi (@Oye_Jahazi) August 27, 2022
Another user tagged Youth Congress leader Srinivas BV and suggested that could be the ‘chaprasi’ being talked about.
@srinivasiyc bhai teri baat ho rahi hai or saath me @Pawankhera ji ki bhi
— Ashish Vashistha (@blunders_pridee) August 27, 2022
The reaction of Congress leaders after the resignation of Ghulam Nabi Azad
In a tweet on Friday (August 26), Pawan Khera claimed that the Congress party had been suffering because of leaders such as Ghulam Nabi Azad.
“When he was taking all the decisions, he proudly belonged to the core group. Now, when others are taking decisions, he labels them as sycophants. The challenges faced by the Congress today are because of leaders like him,” he had tweeted.
When he was taking all the decisions, he proudly belonged to the core group. Now, when others are taking decisions, he labels them as sycophants. The challenges faced by the Congress today are because of leaders like him. https://t.co/bPs28nAhro
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) August 26, 2022
Another Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that the resignation of Ghulam Nabi Azad had in fact strengthened the Congres party’s resolve.
“If Mr. Azad and his remote control think his resignation will destabilise the Congress party’s Mehangai Rally on Sept 4th and the launch of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Sept 7th, they are grossly mistaken. The resignation has further strengthened our resolve!” he said in a tweet.
If Mr. Azad and his remote control think his resignation will destabilise the Congress party’s Mehangai Rally on Sept 4th and the launch of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Sept 7th, they are grossly mistaken. The resignation has further strengthened our resolve!
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) August 26, 2022
Party spokesperson RS Surjewala had also questioned the motives of Ghulam Nabi Azad. “This is the hallmark of a person’s character. When in power, everything is fine. When out of power, everything seems bad,” he wrote.
41 साल – 1980 से 2021 तक गाँधी परिवार की चार पीढ़ियों के साथ लगातार सत्ता का आनंद लिया (24 साल केंद्रीय मंत्री, 5 साल CM, 35 साल महासचिव)।
— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) August 26, 2022
अब उसी नेतृत्व और दल में सभी दोष नज़र आने लगे।
व्यक्ति के चरित्र का यही मानक हैं।
खुद सत्ता में, तो सब ठीक।
सत्ता से ज़रा बाहर, तो सब ग़लत। https://t.co/eA5ekzJk0G
On Friday (August 26), veteran Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad resigned from the Congress, after being associated with the party since the mid-1970s.
In his letter, Azad slammed the Congress high command for sidelining senior party leaders and giving in to the whims and fancies of ‘inexperienced sycophants.’ He pulled up a ‘non-serious’ Rahul Gandhi for infamously tearing a copy of the ordinance, approved by the UPA Cabinet.
The veteran Congress leader suggested that the decisions of the grand old party are now being made by the personal assistants and security guards of Rahul Gandhi. He informed how the senior party leaders were insulted by the Congress scion in a special Congress Working Committee meeting.
Azad had also lambasted the party’s high command for not holding transparent elections at any level within the organisation.