Even after direct allegations of Union Minister for Steel Beni Prasad Verma that Congress state president had no time to visit Party’s state head quarter, Nirmal Khatri once again chose to skip his visit to Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee’s office on Tuesday.
This is not the first time that Khatri visited his Parliament constituency Faizabad but not spared any time to sit at his office in lucknow to listen to the woes of the workers.
Surprisingly, it is not only Beni’s allegation but Khatri even over look directions of the Party’s high command which issued clear cut instructions to all senior leaders particularly ministers hailing from UP that they should give some time in the UPCC when ever they visit to lucknow in order to strengthen the organisation by looking into problems faced by workers at field level. However, Khatri, who is directly entrusted to strengthen the Organisation had always given more time in his Parliamentary constituency than at his office in UPCC. Sources said that on Tuesday, a big number of
Congressmen including some office bearers of the UPCC were waiting for Khatri at State Head Quarter as they had information that Nirmal Khatri, who is returning from his Parliament constituency Faizabad would take a stop at his office before taking flight to New Delhi from Chowdhary Charan Singh Airport at Amausi on Tuesday evening. The leaders wanted to air their resentment within the Party with the State president particularly about some office bearers who were though appointed by Khatri but were using extra constitutional powers in absence of announcement any permanent Committee of the UPCC. Sources in the Party maintained that Khatri is well aware of the differences within the Party hence he preferred to directly fly to New Delhi instead of trying to resolve the issue.
Interestingly when Beni Prasad Verma openly took on Khatri for his step-motherly treatment towards UPCC than what he gave to his Parliament Constituency, many other leaders also criticised the State President for his approach towards the Organisation. ``Though it is too late now as Parliament elections are just few months away but still if Rahul Gandhi wanted to give any boost to the Organisation before the polls than he must either direct Khatri to leave his Parliament constituency and concentrate on
Organisational activities or should replace Khatri with someone other as State President and let MP from Faizabad to freely nurse his constituency", demanded a senior Congress leader hailing from Gorakhpur. He claimed that Khatri is very lucky that both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi had given free hand to Khatri to strengthen the Organisation but he so far showed least respect to their confidence. ``On demand of State president. Rahul Gandhi even removed all eight zonal incharges and replaced them with Khatri’s team members but still nothing has been done for betterment of the Organisation", alleged Congress leader adding that Khatri is just interested to some how retain his own seat in Faizabad and is least bothered to boost the prospect of other candidates by strengthening the Party in all the Parliament constituency and not just Faizabad.