Rahul draws red line for outspoken in party
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday warned that those who go beyond the party line will face action.
“Spokespersons and panellists may have their individual views, but as party spokespersons and panellists you have to be within the party line. We cannot go beyond party ideology. Those who go beyond will be noticed and action will be taken,” Mr Gandhi said.
Former Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi said Mr Gandhi made these remarks while inaugurating a meeting of party spokespersons and media panellists at a time when Lok Sabha elections are less than a year away. According to insiders, the message was loud and clear for those using the party to promote themselves in the media. Significantly, Mr Gandhi’s warning came on the day the party disapproved of the remarks of AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmed and party MP Rashid Masood, that the 2002 Gujarat riots had led to the formation of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen.
Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh, Union ministers Beni Prasad Verma and Jairam Ramesh have at several times been ticked off by the party leadership for controversial remarks on various issues.
Mr Gandhi also wanted partymen to be “very decent” in their language at a time when a trend of indecent language is catching on in social media. “We cannot do that. We are the party of Mahatma Gandhi,” the Congress vice-president is reported to have told the meeting.
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