The Congress Working Committee (CWC) met here on Tuesday at a time when the party faces a serious crisis, not just from its opponents but from its own cadre and allies too.

A day after senior leader Jairam Ramesh said the party is facing an existential crisis, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah urged the grand old party not to dismiss Ramesh’s views.

However, senior Congressman KV Thomas, who is supposedly close to 10 Janpath, sharply criticised Ramesh’s statement.

He said those who entered the party through the “back doors” and enjoyed the fruits of power feel now the party is facing an existential crisis as it is out of power.

“Congressmen who started their career from booth level committees and worked their way up are always with the party and the people, whether in power or not. For genuine Congressmen, people are the power,” Thomas said in a statement.

Abdullah said the myth of opposition unity has been systematically shown for what it is — a chimera. “It’s each one for themselves in 2019 & five more years to the BJP,” he tweeted. “I hope there are people in the grand old party who sit up and take note of what Jairam is saying. Dismissing his views will be shortsighted.”

Ramesh has said in an interview yesterday that the Congress is facing an existential crisis, not just an electoral one.

The CWC, which met also to observe the 75th anniversary of the Quit India Movement, said the party has striven relentlessly in the 75 years since it asked the British to quit India, and to realise the dreams of those who fought for our freedom.

“Many of the ideals have indeed been realised, even if not in full measure — a secular and democratic Constitution which guarantees fundamental rights, freedom of speech and expression, economic growth with equity and rule of law,” a resolution passed in the meeting said. “However, much remains to be done for the socioeconomic emancipation of the disadvantaged, deprived and marginalised sections of our people.”

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who chaired the meeting, said she is anguished by the assault on freedom and said the self-appointed vigilantes are threat to liberty and enemy of pluralism and diversity.

She said the Congress must always defend liberty and freedom of individuals and institutions.

Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi skipped the meeting.