Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam addresses a press conference in Mumbai on April 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Stating that the Congress party had become ideologically irrelevant and its leaders “monumentally arrogant”, expelled Maharashtra Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam launched a broadside against the grand old party on Thursday, remarking that it had five “power centres” that constantly clashed with each other.
Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai, Mr. Nirupam, a former Parliamentarian who was edged out of the Congress for his alleged “indiscipline” and making “anti-party statements”, said that the Congress had become scattered ideologically and organisationally.
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“Earlier there used to be one power centre and it had its own caucus. The others fought against this coterie. But there are five centres now, each with their own lobbies. And these lobbies clash against each other. And people like us, who do not belong to any clique, suffer as a result…this is not just about me, but the feeling of lakhs of people associated with the Congress,” Mr. Nirupam, an ex-MP from the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency, said.
He added the first power centre was Sonia Gandhi, the second Rahul Gandhi, the third – Mr. Gandhi’s sister, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who exerted power in her own way.
“Then there is party president Mallikarjun Kharge, whose followers have suddenly become the party’s high command even though they are utterly ignorant about politics. And I cannot even mention the language they use. The last power centre is that of [Congress General Secretary] K.C. Venugopal,” he said.
Stating that the influence of leftists within the Congress was still significant, Mr. Nirupam said that just as Communism had ideologically expired after 1991, the life-span of ‘Nehruvian secularism’ was over after 70 years.
“But some in the Congress aren’t willing to accept this. There are leftists who hover round Rahul Gandhi and their influence is predominant. Such people had defiantly opposed the Ram Temple consecration ceremony. While nobody raised any question on the consecration ceremony itself, only the Congress’ letter [refusing to attend the ceremony] specifically alleges that the event was the BJP’s propaganda. In doing so, the party denied the spirituality of the moment. This was a typical leftist approach. But today’s India has become spiritual. There is nothing wrong in this. This approach does not say hate other religions,” Mr. Nirupam said, remarking that even big industrialists and celebrities who did not wish to be seen going to temples have started visiting them now.
Mr. Nirupam said that ‘Nehruvian secularism’ had rendered having faith in Hinduism as some “blasphemy” or “crime”.
“The Congress is scattered politically and ideologically. There appears to be no commitment towards issues as people at the top have no ground connect. Those with the reins of power in their hands are outdated, scrap material,” the ex-Congressman said.
A former Shiv Sainik who joined the Congress in 2005, Mr. Nirupam was chastised by his party’s leadership for his remarks targeting the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) – the Congress’ ally and partner in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition.
Mr. Nirupam had repeatedly heaped censure on top leaders of the Maharashtra Congress for ‘buckling’ under the Sena (UBT)’s pressure during seat-sharing talks with Mr. Thackeray’s party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He had warned that if the Congress yielded to the Sena (UBT)’s pressure of contesting five of the six Mumbai city seats, the Congress’ existence would be finished.
“I had protested against Sena (UBT) unilaterally staking claim on so many seats. But I am being expelled for speaking the truth. There is tremendous arrogance within the party leadership, akin to that of a village headman of a destroyed village,” he quipped.
Mr. Nirupam sardonically dubbed the three MVA parties (Sena UBT, Congress and NCP-SP) as” the merger of three loss making units.”
While he did not say about his future course of action or which party he would join, Mr. Nirupam hinted he could say something after Navratri (April 9).
He also warned those interested in writing his political obituary that he would contest the general election from the Mumbai North West Lok Sabha constituency and win.