What is the big deal if letter got leaked: Ghulam Nabi Azad

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who sent a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi along with 22 other leaders for sweeping changes in the party, on Thursday said it was no big deal if their letter got leaked and asked if action should not be taken for "indiscipline" against leaders who targeted them.

Azad also said that party leader Rahul Gandhi initially had issues with the letter which was discussed during the stormy meeting of Congress Working Committee earlier this week.

Defending the letter, Azad told that it was not a state secret to ask for party getting strengthened.

"What is the big deal if the letter was leaked? It's not a state secret to ask for the party to be strengthened and hold elections. Even during the time of Indira Gandhiji, the Cabinet proceedings used to get leaked," he said.

He took a dig at leaders who targeted the letter writers during the meeting of CWC and outside it.

"Those who were doing running commentary during Congress Working Committee, were they not being indiscipline? Persons who were abusing us (for writing the letter), were they not being indiscipline? Shouldn't action be taken against them? We did not abuse anyone," Azad told .

He said Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi said during the meeting that elections for new party chief should be held in a month but that was not possible due to conditions created by COVID-19 and a request was made to Sonia Gandhi to continue for six months.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) initially had issues with the letter. Later, Soniaji and Rahulji said elections to be held within a month. But it's not possible, due to COVID. So we requested Soniaji to continue as Pres for six months," he said.

Azad strongly pitched for elections to the Congress Working Committee and said the party chief should be elected and it is their "victory" that the party will have "full-time president" after six months.

He also pitched for elections to the key orgsational posts of state chief and district chief.

"Anyone who has a genuine interest in the internal working dynamics of Congress would welcome our proposal to have every state and district president as being elected. The entire Congress Working Committee should be elected," Azad told .

Azad, who is Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said their effort was to make the party strong and active and those who simply got "appointment cards" continue to oppose their proposal.

"The intention is to make Congress active and strong. But those who simply got 'appointment cards' continue to oppose our proposal. What's the harm in having elected CWC members who will have fixed tenures in the party," he said.

The CWC meeting was held in the backdrop of a letter in which Azad and 22 other leaders had called for "full time" active leadership, sweeping reforms and elections of the CWC. There was also a suggestion for a mechsm for collective leadership to guide the party's revival.

Several leaders in the party, including party chief ministers, had raised questions over the letter and the issue figured in the CWC meeting. CWC is the highest decision-making body of the party.

The resolution adopted at the meeting said that "CWC makes it clear that no one will be or can be permitted to undermine or weaken the party and its leadership at this juncture".

It said the responsibility of every Congress worker and leader today is to fight the pernicious assault on India's democracy, pluralism and diversity by the Modi Government.

The resolution said inner-party issues cannot be deliberated through the media or in public for and urged and advises all concerned to raise such issues only in party fora in the interest of propriety and discipline.

The resolution requested Sonia Gandhi "to continue to lead the Indian National Congress" until such time as circumstances will permit an AICC session to be convened.

It authorised her to make necessary orgsational changes that she may deem appropriate to take on the challenges faced by the party.

Apart from hailing the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, the CWC also lauded the role of party leader Rahul Gandhi, saying he has resolutely led the fight against the BJP-led government from the front.

Sonia Gandhi as interim president of the party in August last year after Rahul Gandhi resigned taking responsibility for the party's dismal performance in the Lok Sabha polls.

( With inputs from ANI )