Ranchi: State Congress president and finance minister Rameshwar Oraon on Wednesday said no leader of any stature will be allowed to take the party’s discipline for granted and if anyone has any issues with the state party leadership, they are free to approach the high command to get their grievances addressed.
Speaking to TOI on the sidelines of a luncheon organised on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, Oraon’s statement comes in the wake of veteran Congress leader and former MP Furkan Ansari alleging that Jharkhand ministers are making huge payment’s to Congress’s state in-charge RPN Singh.
“Furkan-Ji is a tall leader and has served the party for ages. I do not have any qualms against him but if he has any issues with the state leadership or the state in-charge, he should take them up with the party high command. No leader should raise his/her grievances in an open platform as there is a decorum which needs to be maintained,” Oraon said.
Asked if the state leadership is contemplating any disciplinary action against Furkan, Oraon said, “There are no differences between me and Furkan-Ji but as a state president, if anyone guilty of violating the party’s discipline, I will be forced to take disciplinary action against the person concerned.”
He added, “I had a word with Furkan-Ji and I was told that his comments were reported in the media by altering the facts so there is nothing to worry about.”
Meanwhile on Wednesday, Furkan gave an interview to a local channel where he raised questions on the working style of Singh and said that he has failed completely in fulfilling his duty towards strengthening the party. “The party’s state co-ordination committee in Jharkhand hasn’t been constituted for the last four years. Nobody has an idea about what is going on at the block and district levels of the party’s organization. Whose responsibility is this to take care of such things,” he said.
He added that he has spoken to a few party MLAs and they said that they aren’t getting any support from the government in getting developmental work implemented in their respective constituencies. “If this continues, anyone who is a public representative will be disheartened,” he said, adding, “I have told such MLAs clearly that no one is above the party and we all have worked hard to win this election and we should work towards fulfilling the aspirations of people.”
He further said that he had a meeting with Congress general secretary K C Venugopal in this regard. “Venugopal-Ji said that Singh is a very capable man and party can retain him in New Delhi and can send in a better leader as an in-charge,” he added.