New Delhi: Throwing his weight firmly behind Rahul Gandhi, senior Congress leader and party spokesperson Jairam Ramesh on Friday questioned the timing of party veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad’s decision to sever all relations with the Congress.
A press conference that was originally convened to talk about Delhi’s excise policy and slated to be addressed by Ajay Maken, was turned into a press conference exclusively on Azad’s resignation as the news of the high-profile leader’s exit from the party broke shortly before the press meet was to start.
Stating that he saw Azad’s resignation letter in the press, Ramesh said the veteran leader chose to quit the party when it was gearing up for two very important political programmes — the ‘Mehengai Pe Halla Bol Rally’ in Delhi’s historic Ramlila Maidan on September 4 and the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ slated to kick off from Kanyakumari on September 7.
“It is most unfortunate and regrettable that this has happened when Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and the entire Congress party organisation across the country are engaged in confronting, combating, fighting the BJP on issues of ‘mehengai’ (dearness) , ‘berozgari’ (unemployment) polarisation,” Ramesh said.
Ramesh said the entire Congress party organisation in the last couple of weeks had been involved in preparing for the September 4 rally which would be addressed by Rahul Gandhi. Twenty-two (22) press conferences would be held across the country on August 29 in connection with the rally. Preparation for the ‘Bharat Yodo Yatra’ is also under way. Thirty-two (32) press conferences would be held in as many places in the country on September 5 to project the message of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ march that would cover a distance of 3,750 km, Ramesh said.
“At a time when every Congressman and every Congresswoman is involved in ensuring that the ‘Mehengai Pe Halla Bol Rally’ is a success and every Congressman and Congresswoman wants to be a ‘Bharat Yatri’ and wants to walk along with Rahul Gandhi on the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, it is most unfortunate and most regrettable that at this point of time we have had to read this letter that has been released to the press,” Ramesh said.
Ajay Maken, who was accompanying Ramesh, made similar remarks in Hindi.
The Congress spokespersons refused to take any questions from the media.