Days after the BJP dropped its tallest and veteran leaders from its Parliamentary Board, its highest decision making body, senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi on Thursday advocated a similar line saying people in politics should not continue in active posts beyond 70 years of age.
“I am not saying that they should retire, but the posts which require a lot of running around and physical capacity should be held by people younger. There are other responsibilities which elder leaders can take up but they should keep away from active posts,” he said.
The remarks of Dwivedi, who is the general secretary in charge of the Organisation, come close on the heels of the BJP dropping Atal Bihari Vajpayee, lK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi from the Parliamentary Board and accommodated them in the Margdarshak Mandal, mentor’s group.
His comments have also come at a time when there is intense speculation about imminent changes in the AICC setup with the younger generation likely to call the shots and leaders of Dwivedi's generation likely to be replaced.
“Whatever the BJP has done, why and with whom they have done, it is their politics and nobody should be commenting on the affairs of other parties beyond certain limits. Whatever has to be said on the issue has already been said by Congress, but I can give my personal opinion. I have been of this view for a long time that there should be a timeline for people in public life as it is in other walks of life,” Dwivedi, who will be 69 next month and feels marginalised in the party in the present scenario, said while talking to reporters.
To a question on whether he wants his 65 or 70 formulae also to be applicable to 67-year-old Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Dwivedi said, “The post of Congress president has been an exception in many respects.” He pointed to Congress Working Committee resolution that no leader should hold two posts but the Congress president and Prime Minister have been kept off it.
He, however, maintained that posts like that of presidents of political parties, President of India, Vice President and Prime Minister may be treated as exceptions. Dwivedi had earlier made some controversial comments like an economic criteria-based reservation and Priyanka Gandhi’s interest in politics.
Citing examples of various other fields where elders hand over the batons to younger team, Dwivedi said, “Similarly, generational change is also necessary in politics. After certain age, people should not live on active posts in a political organisation”.