'Periodic pangs of anxiety': Salman Khurshid on Kapil Sibal's criticism
NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Tuesday took a dig at his party colleague Kapil Sibal, branding him as someone "who suffers periodic pangs of anxiety" and who "is quick to bite his nails" every time the party underperforms.
"By the looks of it there would be little of the nails left for future disappointments of the doubting Thomases in the party," Khurshid said in a Facebook post.
Khurshid's remarks come a day after Sibal yet again raised questions on Congress leadership over the party's dismal performance in the Bihar assembly elections. The party won only 19 of the 70 seats it contested.
In the Facebook post that started with an Urdu couplet of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, former Union minister Khurshid said if the mood of the electorate is resistant to the liberal values the party has espoused and cherished, it should be prepared for a long struggle rather than look for shortcuts to get back into power.
"Being excluded from power is not to be casually embraced in public life but if it is the result of principled politics it should be accepted with honour," he said.
Hitting out at leaders who call for introspection, Khurshid said: "The favourite panacea of doubting Thomases, introspection and collective leadership, might do no collateral damage but is a bit over estimated. Our real redemption might be found in understanding the mind of the contemporary citizen."
"So the constant refrain of some persons should not be of aimless introspection but for reaffirmation of fundamental principles we believe in. If we are explicitly or implicitly willing to compromise with our principles to regain power we might as well pack up our bags," he added.
Slamming party leaders for going public with their criticism, he wrote: "It is another matter that consolidation of our principled politics, like any cause, requires periodic re-appraisal and re-writing of strategy and logistics. But those cannot be done in the media for our adversaries to check mate it promptly."
Urging party leaders not to be feeble hearted and be willing to embrace deprivation and sacrifice for the "battle for liberal India", Khurshid wrote: "Let our impatience be directed at those who have sullied the humanistic ethos of the great Indian civilization rather than with self perceived impressions of just deserts. Great minds have self doubt, not the arrogance of doubting the world around themselves. That, in essence, was the message of the last Emperor of Mughal India."
Voices of discontent within the Congress had resurfaced following the party's poor showing in the Bihar Assembly polls, with a section of leaders calling for action and introspection.
Calls for reform and accountability for the Bihar polls debacle, however, invited quick rebuttals from the party which fielded veteran leader Ashok Gehlot to say that the Congress has always sprung back from crisis.
"By the looks of it there would be little of the nails left for future disappointments of the doubting Thomases in the party," Khurshid said in a Facebook post.
02:25Time for introspection for Congress is over: Kapil Sibal on Bihar poll debacle
Khurshid's remarks come a day after Sibal yet again raised questions on Congress leadership over the party's dismal performance in the Bihar assembly elections. The party won only 19 of the 70 seats it contested.
In the Facebook post that started with an Urdu couplet of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, former Union minister Khurshid said if the mood of the electorate is resistant to the liberal values the party has espoused and cherished, it should be prepared for a long struggle rather than look for shortcuts to get back into power.
"Being excluded from power is not to be casually embraced in public life but if it is the result of principled politics it should be accepted with honour," he said.
Hitting out at leaders who call for introspection, Khurshid said: "The favourite panacea of doubting Thomases, introspection and collective leadership, might do no collateral damage but is a bit over estimated. Our real redemption might be found in understanding the mind of the contemporary citizen."
"So the constant refrain of some persons should not be of aimless introspection but for reaffirmation of fundamental principles we believe in. If we are explicitly or implicitly willing to compromise with our principles to regain power we might as well pack up our bags," he added.
Slamming party leaders for going public with their criticism, he wrote: "It is another matter that consolidation of our principled politics, like any cause, requires periodic re-appraisal and re-writing of strategy and logistics. But those cannot be done in the media for our adversaries to check mate it promptly."
Urging party leaders not to be feeble hearted and be willing to embrace deprivation and sacrifice for the "battle for liberal India", Khurshid wrote: "Let our impatience be directed at those who have sullied the humanistic ethos of the great Indian civilization rather than with self perceived impressions of just deserts. Great minds have self doubt, not the arrogance of doubting the world around themselves. That, in essence, was the message of the last Emperor of Mughal India."
Voices of discontent within the Congress had resurfaced following the party's poor showing in the Bihar Assembly polls, with a section of leaders calling for action and introspection.
Calls for reform and accountability for the Bihar polls debacle, however, invited quick rebuttals from the party which fielded veteran leader Ashok Gehlot to say that the Congress has always sprung back from crisis.
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