Factionalism in Congress comes to fore once again

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, May 1

Factionalism comes to the fore once again in the state Congress during a state-level function organised to mark the 125th birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar here today.

Supporters of various leaders waved pink and red cloths and raised slogans in support of their leaders, particularly former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and state Congress president Ashok Tanwar.

Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Kiran Choudhary asked state party secretary Pankaj Punia to film those workers who were waving cloths and creating indiscipline.

When Hooda was about to start his speech, a worker waved a red cloth from the stage. Meanwhile, Hooda cautioned another worker, who also waved the red cloth just in front of the stage, to be quiet and said: “You don’t know to whom you are talking in front of.”

Meanwhile, Tanwar warned to take action against indiscipline workers.

After a long time, senior state Congress leaders, including Hooda, Tanwar, Kiran, Rajya Sabha Member Kumari Selja, Capt Ajay Yadav and others shared the stage in the presence of state party in charge Shakeel Ahmed and party secretary Asha Kumari.

However, most of the speakers urged the workers to follow the teachings of Dr Ambedkar and be united.

In his address, Hooda asked the government to name any one to whom they gave a plot of 100 yards, while the previous Congress government had given plots to 3.83 lakh persons.

Tanwar also asked the workers to take a pledge to follow the teachings of Dr Ambedkar and be united.

He appealed the workers to reach Jantar Mantar on May 6 to protest against the Union government.

Taking a dig at the NDA government, Shakeel Ahmed said it had no leaders of its own and using Congress leaders like Sardar Patel and BR Ambedkar.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as ‘moni baba’, he said that the PM did not speak a word over recent agitation in his “mann ki baat” programme.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Parag Gaba joined the Congress on the occasion.