Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh
Rejecting charges of the Congress lacking inner-party democracy, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday said anyone was free to take their grouse to the party chief or the working committee but internal party issues should not be raised at public platforms.
"If you're a Congressman you can go to the party president or the Congress Working Committee with any problem you may have with the party functioning. But you should not go out to air your grievances. If you want to do that, you can leave the party," said Amarinder, amid reports of public dissidence.
The Chief Minister said he had learnt this lesson from late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi when he was a Member of Parliament from the Congress.
Indira Gandhi had told him that internal party matters should remain within the party, and this still holds true for the Congress, he added.
He pointed out that Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi had not penalised anyone who had raised a voice of dissent but had, in fact, made them members of various committees, in true spirit of democracy to bring in reforms.
Rejecting the suggestion for a change in party leadership in the light of the Bihar election results, Amarinder said Sonia will remain the leader as long as she wants, after which the new leader will be elected.
There was no need for change at this juncture, he said, adding that one should not read too much into the Bihar poll verdict.
Pointing out that victory and defeat were part of the process of an actual democracy, which India fortunately has, the Chief Minister quipped that unlike American democracy, India has true democracy with political ups and downs a part and parcel of it.
He recalled the time when BJP had only two seats in Parliament. The Congress could come back to power in 2024, he added.
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