Several Congress leaders of the “Group of 23”, who had last year written to party chief Sonia Gandhi demanding an organisational overhaul, today strongly condemned the attack on Kapil Sibal’s house, calling it “orchestrated hooliganism”.
Congress workers protested outside Kapil Sibal’s house and reportedly damaged a car after he questioned the party’s functioning and attacked its leadership.
Senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Vivek Tankha and Raj Babbar were among those that rallied behind Kapil Sibal, with Anand Sharma asking the leadership to require strong action against those involved.
Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh also criticised what he said was an “attack” because Mr Sibal “chose to specific views that weren’t palatable to the party leadership”.
This doesn’t augur well for the party, Amarinder Singh said, adding that it absolutely was unfortunate that the seniors are being “completely sidelined”, which isn’t good for the party.
Terming the senior Congressmen as “thinkers”, who were important to the longer term of the party, the previous chief minister in an exceedingly statement said the younger leadership should be promoted to implement the plans, which the senior leaders are best equipped to formulate.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, former leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, also strongly condemned the “orchestrated hooliganism” at Kapil Sibal’s residence.
“He (Kapil Sibal) could be a loyal Congressman fighting for the party both inside and outdoors Parliament. Any suggestion from any quarter should be welcomed rather than suppressing, hooliganism is unacceptable,” tweeted Mr Azad, who together with Kapil Sibal is a component of the “Group of 23” which last year had written to Sonia Gandhi seeking organisational overhaul of the party.
Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said, “Orchestrated hooliganism outside Kapil Sibal’s residence last night isn’t the culture of the Congress.”
“If one has any difference of views, the identical should be noted and discussed at party forum,” he said on Twitter.
Asserting that differences in opinion and perception are integral to democracy, Anand Sharma, also a component of the G-23, said intolerance and violence is alien to Congress values and culture.
“Shocked and disgusted to listen to the news of attack and hooliganism at Kapil Sibal’s house. This deplorable action brings disrepute to the party and wishes to be strongly condemned,” Mr Sharma said in a very series of tweets. He asserted that the Congress contains a history of upholding freedom of expression. Those responsible must be identified and disciplined, Mr Sharma said.
“Urging Congress president Sonia Gandhi to require cognisance and powerful action,” he said in a very tweet.
Congress MP from Punjab Manish Tewari – one amongst the G-23 leaders – unequivocally condemned the attack and tweeted, “Those who masterminded the assault must bear in mind that he fights for @INCIndia both inside and outdoors courts of law. you will find his views uncomfortable but that can’t be a license for violence.”
In another tweet, he said, “Those who try to defend the “command performance” last night. this is often what happened @KapilSibal’s house. They damaged the car. Stood on top, so it caved in. Threw tomatoes both outside and inside the house. If this is often not hooliganism then what else is it”.
Responding to Mr Tewari’s tweet, Shashi Tharoor – also a G-23 leader – tweeted, “That is shameful. We all know @KapilSibal as a real Congressman who has fought multiple cases in court for @INCIndia.”
“As a Democratic Party we want to concentrate to what he has got to say, disagree if you need to but not during this way. Our priority is to strengthen ourselves to require on the BJP!” he said.
Also responding to Mr Tewari’s tweet, Congress leader Vivek Tankha tweeted, “Never to someone who has fought and saved such a lot of Congress governments and persons and unmake opposition government.
“People may pain him. Even protest. But not damage his car. a minimum of in my life I never encouraged or promoted hooliganism,” Mr Tankha said.
Another Congress leader Raj Babbar said, “Don’t unleash mob-power on ideological co-travelers – you’ll look more pitiful ahead of ideological rivals.”
“Is criticising what happened outside Kapil Sibal’s residence not an element of Congress culture,” he asked in an exceedingly tweet in Hindi.
Soon after he raised questions over the functioning of the Congress, Kapil Sibal on Wednesday came vulnerable with party workers also protesting outside his house in Delhi.
In the wake of several Congress leaders quitting the party and its Punjab unit in turmoil, Kapil Sibal has demanded that an on the spot meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) be convened and wondered who within the party was taking decisions within the absence of a full-time president.
At a news conference, Mr Sibal said that the G-23 grouping is “not a Jee Huzoor-23” and can still put forth the views and can still repeat the stress.
Carrying “Get Well Soon Kapil Sibal” placards and raising slogans against him, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) workers had protested outside his Jor Bagh residence, saying they were “hurt” by his remarks. The protesters raised slogans against Kapil Sibal, asking him to “leave the party”. A protestor also stood on his car.
