Congress distances itself from Khursheed, Digvijay’s views
(Nvonews.com)
The Congress party today moved to distance itself from the controversial comments made by general Secretary Digvijay Singh, and the quota promise of Salman Khursheed. Salman Khursheed promised that Congress will implement a 9% quota within the 27% quota for the backward castes if it comes to power in Uttar Pradesh.
Khursheed’s comments ran into controversy almost immediately. BJP complained to the EC that the comments amounted to enticement, as they were delivered in farrukhabad, where Khursheed’s wife Louise is a candidate for the Congress party. The EC sent a notice to Khursheed, and the EC asked the centre to put the minority quota on hold.
Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi had seemed to defend Khursheed even as he said that the party will not comment on the matter, as it was already being dealt with by the EC.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh created another controversy by saying that the Batla House encounter was fake. Home Minister Chidambaram quickly went on record to say that said that the encounter was genuine, and he had more facts on the matter. He however said that Digvijay had taken the stand from the beginning that the encounter was a fake one.
Rashid Alvi, today dodged and distanced the party from the comments of two of its most prominent leaders. Alvi faced a barrage of questions at the AICC media briefing and in reply said the Salman Khursheed’s view were his “individual” views on the quota.
While of the Batla House encounter Alvi said that the party stood by the stand taken by the government that the encounter was genuine. But Digvijay was free to hold whatever views he chose to have, as Congress had “inner party democracy.”
Alvi seemed to expresses party’s disapproval of the stand taken by Singh, even though he did not spell it out in clear words. He said that there had been a nationwide debate on the issue, and that it was a ‘very sensitive matter’.
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