Capt Amarinder opposes challenge to Gandhi family leadership

CHANDIGARH: Coming out in support of Gandhi family, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh opposed the bid by few Congress leaders to challenge the Gandhi family leadership.
Captain said that it was not the time to raise such issues, given the need for a strong opposition against the BJP-led NDA that was out to destroy the country’s constitutional ethos and democratic principles.
He warned that any move to divide or destabilise the party would give advantage to the dictatorial forces that are seeking to trample the ideals on which modern India was built. The destruction of those ideals would trigger the devastation not just of the Congress but India as a whole, he added.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Captain said that electoral defeats could not be the yardstick for leadership change, adding that just because the Congress was down at the moment did not mean the Gandhis’ contribution to its growth could or should be undermined. The BJP rose from two parliamentary seats to lead the country, he pointed out, adding that the Congress will rise again, and that too under the leadership of Gandhi.
The veteran Congress leader said the NDA’s success was attributable to the absence of a strong and united opposition, and the move by these Congress leaders to demand a rehaul of the party at this critical juncture would be detrimental to its interests, and the interests of the nation. India is currently facing not just external dangers from across the border but also internal threats to its federal structure, he said, adding that a unified Congress alone could protect the country and its people.
Terming the demand for leadership change as untenable, Captain Amarinder highlighted the contribution of the Gandhi family to the country’s progress since it achieved freedom from the British rule. What Congress needs is a leadership that is acceptable not just to a few but to the entire party, through its rank and file, and the nation at large, he said, adding that the Gandhis were the right fit for this role. Sonia Gandhi should continue to helm the Congress as long as she wanted, he said, and added that Rahul should thereafter take over as he was fully competent to lead the party.