'Not his deewana but Scindia's exit a big loss': Nirupam blames Cong bigwigs; names Rahul

Senior Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Wednesday said that he expected the top leadership of the party to end the conflict going on between Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia in Madhya Pradesh. Nirupam asserted that it is high time now and Rahul Gandhi needs to take charge of the party. He also termed Scindia's exit from the party as "a huge loss"

'I am not his deewana or his huge fan'

Speaking to news agency ANI he said, "First of all, I want to give my best wishes to Kamal Nath and I wish that his government survives. Whatever efforts he does in saving his government, I hope he is successful in that. Talking about Jyotiraditya Scindia, I am not his 'deewana' or a huge fan but I know that he was a popular leader in Madhya Pradesh. He was a face of Congress party. His departure from the party is a huge loss. He was upset and he wanted a major role in the party or the government and maybe he was putting in efforts for that. I came to know this in media reports."

Nirupam added, "The Top leadership of the party was expected to intervene and end the conflict going on among different groups in the party. Such differences have been there in the party wherever it has been in power. The top leadership in Delhi has always tried to sort out differences among them and keep them engaged in the party. But unfortunately, in recent times, it has not been happening."

'The old guard needs to retire'

Holding party's top leadership responsible for the crisis, he said, "Party people who are in power are living in their own world and are trying to end the other groups. People who are running the government in Delhi are responsible for this. I have been saying this since a while now that Rahul Gandhi needs to take charge of the party. Today, nobody has a hand on the control button of the party. The old guard needs to retire and the youngsters under Rahul Ji leadership need to work for the revival of the party."

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In a massive setback for the Congress, Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the Congress, and 22 MLAs loyal to him resigned in Madhya Pradesh, pushing the 15-month-old Kamal Nath government to the brink of collapse. The surprise development on Tuesday morning came soon after Jyotiraditya Scindia's meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

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