Congress moves on with 'eyes wide shut': Kapil Sibal after Sushmita Dev quits party

NEW DELHI: As the women's wing chief of the Congress resigned, senior leader Kapil Sibal on Monday said the party is moving on with its "eyes wide shut".

"Sushmita Dev resigns from primary membership of our Party. While young leaders leave we 'oldies' are blamed for our efforts to strengthen it," the former union minister said on Twitter.

"The Party moves on with: Eyes Wide Shut," he also said.

Sibal, a member of the 'Group of 23' leaders who had written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking organisational overhaul, has been demanding that the party be strengthened.

The senior party leader on Sunday welcomed the party chief's initiative of bringing like-minded political parties together, but urged her to strengthen her own party, saying no Opposition unity is possible without it.

Sibal, however, said he along with other leaders of the "Group of 23" would continue to demand reforms in the grand old party and keep pushing for its strengthening.

"I am happy that Congress president Sonia Gandhi is taking the initiative of bringing about Opposition unity.

But our reform agenda has to continue and we will keep pushing for it to strengthen the Congress," he told PTI.

The former Union minister said he and his party colleagues are ready to support these efforts in order to revive and revitalise the Congress.

He said Gandhi can "jettison" him if he stands in her way, but he would continue to seek strengthening of the Congress for bringing it to the forefront of Opposition unity.

"This is not about me, but about a revival of the Congress and bringing it to the forefront of Opposition unity.

Without the Congress being strong, there can be no Opposition unity," Sibal said.

Sibal said Opposition unity will not come about till the Congress is revived and strengthened.

"This project of Opposition unity will fail if the Congress is not strengthened and rejuvenated. I hope the Congress realises the significance of its primacy," he said.