After Advani, time for Sushma-Rajnath-Jaitley to join margdarshak mandal, quips Congress

BHOPAL: Congress on Tuesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP after minister for external affairs Sushma Swaraj said she will not contest the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, whosoever holds their finger is shown the way to the margdarshak mandal,” said AICC media department chief Ranndeep Singh Surjewala here on Tuesday.

“After LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalraj Mishra, Keshubhai Patel, Suresh Bhai Mehta and Haren Pandya – it is now the turn of Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley,” Surjewala claimed.

The senior Congress leader was speaking to the media on Tuesday afternoon when he was asked to comment on nine-time MP Sushma Swaraj’s decision not to contest next year’s Lok Sabha elections. “LK Advani was Modiji’s political guru who held his finger and taught him to walk. But the day Modi came to power, LK Advani was sent on exile forever. Same with Kalraj Mishra, Keshubhai Patel, Murli Manohar Joshi, Suresh Bhai Mehta. Before the murder of Haren Pandya, he too was sent on retirement,” Surjewala said.

He said the situation is the same with people who held chief minister Chouhan’s finger and taught him to walk. “Kailash Vijayvargiya has been sent on exile, Tai (Sumitra Mahajan) has been sent to New Delhi, Babulal Gaur has been given retirement, Sartaj Singh has been thrown out of the party and Uma Bharti does not know which state she belongs to,” Surjewala said.

Asked about Congress’ veteran leaders Kamal Nath, Digvijaya Singh and why they are not contesting the elections, Ranndeep Surjewala argued, “The Congress party respects its elders. We know how to respect them and utilise them. However, some decisions are made by the party.”