G-23 took off Gandhi topi, wore saffron turban, says Anil Vij

Amidst the internal political turmoil within the Congress party, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij took a dig at G-23 leaders from the Congress party, stating that the group of dissenting leaders took off Gandhi 'topi' and wore a saffron turban.

Amidst the internal political turmoil within the Congress party, Haryana Home Minister l Vij took a dig at G-23 leaders from the Congress party, stating that the group of dissenting leaders took off Gandhi 'topi' and wore a saffron turban.

"I am pleased to see that the groups of 23 dissenting leaders of Congress took off Gandhi topi (cap) and wore a saffron turban instead. Rahul Gandhi is trying to find pearls for them by leaping into the sea. What more he can do for them," said Vij.

This comes after senior Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and Anand Sharma on Saturday had stated that the G-23 are seeing the Congress party "getting weaker" and are raising their voice for the betterment of the party.

"The truth is that we see the Congress party getting weak. That is why we have gathered here. We had gathered together earlier too and we have to strengthen the party together," Sibal had said at the 'Shanti Sammelan' event in Jammu on Saturday.

Anand Sharma who addressed the 'Shanti Sammelan' said that "Congress has weakened in the last decade."

Sibal and Sharma along with former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Raj Babbar, and Vivek Tankha are among other Congress leaders who were present at the event orgsed by former Rajya Sabha MP Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Azad is the senior-most member among the 23 leaders, who had expressed dissent with the functioning of the Congress party and had written a letter to Sonia Gandhi in August last year.

Soon after the senior Congress leaders claimed that the party "getting weaker", Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi had expressed displeasure saying it would have been better if the leaders helped the party in the upcoming Assembly elections in four states and Puducherry.

"It would have been better if they helped Congress in five states which are going to polls. They are respected leaders, we respect them. One of the leaders spoke the term 'used'. The one who has used the term does not know the legacy of Congress," Singhvi had said.

( With inputs from ANI )