Cong attempts damage control; Sibal withdraws tweet on Rahul Gandhi's 'colluding' remark

As Congress battles yet another turmoil soon after recovering from the Rajasthan crisis, veteran leader Kapil Sibal on Monday, withdrew his tweet claiming that former party chief Rahul Gandhi had remarked that the INC is 'colluding with BJP'. What appears to be damage control by the former Union Minister, Sibal deleted the previous tweet and stated that Rahul Gandhi told him personally that he never made the statement attributed to the former Congress supremo. Soon after Kapil Sibal's tweet, party leaders had jumped to criticise the former Union Minister while the party's National Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asserting that Rahul Gandhi has not 'said a word of this nature'.

"Rahul Gandhi says “we are colluding with BJP". Succeeded in Rajasthan High Court defending the Congress Party. Defending party in Manipur to bring down BJP Govt. Last 30 years have never made a statement in favour of BJP on any issue. Yet “we are colluding with the BJP"!" Sibal's deleted tweet had read. 

READ | Congress CWC Live Updates: Ahmed Patel Proposes Rahul's Name For Congress Chief Mid-revolt

Sibal withdraws tweet 

Congress leaders urge for leadership change

Reportedly, several Congress leaders wrote to the Congress president on August 12 calling for sweeping changes in the party's functioning. As per suspended Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha, more than 300 leaders representing all regions and states are signatories to the letter. Some of the senior leaders who have reportedly signed the letter include Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anand Sharma, Manish Tewari, Milind Deora, Mukul Wasnik, Jitin Prasada, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and Prithviraj Chavan. The dissent seems to have paved for two factions within the party - with some leaders urging Sonia Gandhi to continue as the chief while others demanding a change in the leadership or the revival of the grand old party. 

READ | Sonia Gandhi-aide Ahmed Patel Now Proposes Rahul For Congress President Amid Open Revolt

War of words at CWC meeting

At the beginning of the Congress Working Committee meeting, interim president Sonia Gandhi offered to resign. However, former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and ex-Defence Minister urged her to continue as president of the Congress party. Speaking at the meeting, Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi lamented that the dissenting letter had been sent at a time when his mother was in the hospital. Thereafter, he reportedly accused the signatories to the letter of colluding with BJP. As per sources, 4 senior Congress leaders logged off from the CWC meeting in protest against the former party president's remarks.

READ | Two Masterminds Of Congress Dissent Letter Not Among 23 Signatories; Claiming Neutrality

READ | Surjewala Rushes To Spare Rahul Gandhi's Blushes; Denies 'BJP Collusion' Charge & Appeals