Shocked out of their wits, senior Congress leaders on Wednesday went into overdrive, launching a damage control exercise by trying to defend party president Sonia Gandhi and describing G Venkataswamy’s words as ‘absurd, irresponsible, insensitive, unwarranted and gross violation of party discipline’.
Leading the pack on Wednesday was Union Law Minister and party In-Charge for Andhra Pradesh Affairs Veerappa Moily, who said that action against the 82-year-old leader is imminent.
Mr Moily revealed before media persons that he had indeed called Mr Venkataswamy earlier in the day, asking him to withdraw his comments. The Law Minister added that Mr Venkataswamy was unrelenting, unapologetic and undaunted by the prospect of disciplinary action against him.
“A serious note has been taken (of Mr Venkataswamy’s comments) and action will be taken,” Mr Moily said. He described the comments as arrogant and the attack on Ms Gandhi as vicious.
The Law Minister however refused to divulge the kind of action that might be taken against Mr Venkataswamy.
He however chose to remind what the party had done for Mr Venkataswamy by saying that the senior leader had risen to a position of respect, but has shown his gratitude by targeting the party which has ‘nurtured him like a mother’.
Mr Moily said that Mr Venkataswamy did not deny his statements during their telephonic conversation. He revealed that the senior leader was adamant on not rescinding his words.
The Union Law Minister, in another conversation to a national media house is believed to have described Mr Venkataswamy’s comments as “absolutely absurd, irresponsible, insensitive and grossly violative of the norms and standards of discipline on the Indian National Congress.”
Mr Venkataswamy had on Tuesday knocked the sycophancy out of his party leadership by demanding that party president Sonia Gandhi resign from her post immediately.
The senior Congress leader and Congress Working Committee member had stated that he foresaw no life in the party if Ms Gandhi continues in her post. The party’s popularity was dwindling under the Ms Gandhi’s leadership, he had opined, adding that Ms Gandhi should make way for a person of Indian origin.
The senior leader also predicted that the Congress will be wiped out from the country if she continues as party president.
The senior leader had also taken a strong objection for the proposed alliance between the Congress and the Praja Rajyam Party.
“What was the need for the Congress to seek alliance with a party such as the PRP, especially when it enjoys a majority,” Mr Venkataswamy had questioned.