India / No Cong President, we don't know who's taking decisions: Sibal on Punjab crisis

New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday expressed resentment over the functioning of the party and said it is ironic that those who were considered to be close to the high command have left them and the others are still standing by. The G-23 leader said the party has to listen to the point of view of the leaders and introspect. "Democracy can not be worked by 20 men sitting at the centre," he said at a time when the party is facing a crisis in Punjab.

"I believe that one of my senior colleagues has [perhaps written or is about to write to Congress president to immediately convene a CWC so that a dialogue can take place as to why we are in this state," Kapil Sibal said adding that party has no president at present and hence he doesn't know who takes these decisions. "We know and yet we don't know," Sibal said. Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has reportedly written a letter to Sonia Gandhi, asking her to convene an urgent meeting of CWC meeting. 

Sibal said that G-23 will raise issues that need to be addressed. “It is very clear. We are G-23 not Ji Huzoor 23. We will keep talking. We will continue to reiterate our demands,” Sibal said. 

Sibal's comments come at a time when the Punjab Congress is internally split in several factions with a new drama unfolding every day. Following Captain Amarinder Singh's resignation from the post of CM, which did not happen in an amicable way, Charanjit Singh Channi was chosen as the chief minister. His new Cabinet took oaths and as the new government is set to roll with only a few months left for the election, Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu has resigned from his post expressing dissatisfaction with the portfolio allocation that Charanjit Singh Channi made. 

"I don't want to talk about Punjab but a border state where this is happening to Congress party means what? It is an advantage to ISI and Pakistan. We know the history of Punjab and the rise of extremism there... we know how forces across the border exploit the situation to create an atmosphere of uncertainty. It is these forces that are the biggest threat to the nation. Congress should make sure that they remain united. If somebody has an issue, it has to be discussed," Sibal said.

In his press meet, he addressed the media as a G-23 leader, the group of disgruntled Congress leaders who wrote to the high command that the party needs to elect its president. "I'm speaking to you (media) on behalf of those Congressmen who wrote the letter in Aug last year and are waiting for the actions to be taken by our leadership in respect of the election of the office of the president, to CWC and central election committee," Sibal said.