Exercise restraint: Sukhu to party workers

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 27

Efforts have been stepped up by senior state Congress leaders to put an end to the feud that has erupted over the remarks of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on the appointment of state Congress secretaries with Pradesh Congress Committee president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu also directing all office-bearers not to issue any statement and resolve matters within party forum.

Sukhu is learnt to have met Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes at her residence today morning and discussed the issue. Later in the day, he held parleys with Transport Minister GS Bali, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) vice president Harsh Mahajan and HPCC general secretary Harbhajan Singh Bhajji.

“We are of the firm opinion that these kinds of statements will weaken the party and give advantage to the BJP. So both sides, including the Chief Minister, must exercise retrain,” said a senior leader.Sukhu, when contacted, confirmed that he had asked all party office-bearers to exercise retrain and not issue any statements. “It is in the interest of the Congress party that we resolve all issues within the party forum and not issue statements against each other,” he said, adding that it could be because of communication gap that such a situation had arisen and he would meet the Chief Minister to sort out all issues.

Sensing that if there is no let up in this verbal duel, the bickering within the party would intensify, senior leaders held talks with Sukhu on the issue. Even today some office-bearers of Youth Congress and National Students Union of India (NSUI) issued a statement condemning the remarks of some of the HPCC secretaries against the Chief Minister. They even warned that if these statements against the Chief Minister did not stop, they would be forced to react.