The Congress on Friday advised its leaders against voicing opinions against the party’s top leadership in public. In a strong message, AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi told the seniors as well as juniors within the party to refrain from giving advice publicly through the media.
Dwivedi issued the advisory a day after 14 young Congress secretaries wrote a letter to him attacking the senior leaders for going public with “negative” comments.
Dwivedi who himself had made certain comments prescribing an age limit for Congress leaders for taking active posts within the party and then faced criticism, has forwarded their (Secretaries) letter along with his advisory to all general secretaries and members of the Congress Working Committee.
Controversy had erupted after party general secretary Digvijay Singh’s recent remarks that Rahul Gandhi’s silence on critical issues had contributed to their loss in the “war of perception” and that he should have spoken more. Rahul, who is on a visit to his lok Sabha constituency Amethi, had also sought to downplay the rift.
In the letter, Dwivedi said, “I am enclosing a letter from 14 Secretaries of the AICC who have expressed concern over the public statements of some senior Congressmen regarding affairs of the party which in their view harmed the interests of the organisation. I am sure that all colleagues will take their views with due sensitivity.”