Congress' Salman Khurshid Downplays Rift With NC, Calls For Dialogue Within INDI Alliance

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Saturday downplayed tensions within the INDI Alliance, stressing that differences will be resolved internally and urging “better conversation” among partners on sensitive political issues.

Addressing a press conference as part of the Congress party’s nationwide campaign on MGNREGA and the National Herald case, Khurshid responded to questions about ties with the National Conference (NC) and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent remarks distancing himself from the Congress-led ‘Vote Chori’ campaign.

“We have done a campaign. Of course, if he (Omar) believes that the campaign is unnecessary, I am sure that he will speak amongst the top leaders. It is not fair for me to comment,” Khurshid told reporters here.

As per him, the INDI bloc was formed after several rounds of consultations among opposition leaders, including Abdullah. “Together, they came to a conclusion that they must have an alliance and that alliance was very successful in the Parliament elections (2024). We may not have achieved 100 per cent success, but we achieved a high level of success,” he said.

Khurshid added that any disputes would be handled within the bloc itself. “If there are any issues that any of the leaders of the alliance have about the working of the alliance, they will solve it among themselves. I don’t think it is for you and me to sit and comment about what one leader feels or doesn’t feel, about what one leader contributes or doesn’t contribute. I think it is amongst the leaders, for them, to solve the issue,” he said.

He further stated that the coalition does not erase the individuality of its members, asserting, “The alliance was not a negation of the independent identity of political parties. They don’t write off their own identity or ideology. It is the common ideology, the common identity that makes the alliance. But, parties have to continue working on their own basis as well."

Pointing to shared ground, Khurshid emphasized, “There is much that unites us. Let us build upon those shared strengths and deepen them, rather than dwell on disagreements. Differences are inevitable wherever people come together, but common ground must guide us."

Asked whether the Congress unit in Jammu and Kashmir had given Abdullah too much space to criticize, he said, “There must be a degree of flexibility. Parties cannot remain silent observers; they need the freedom to respond. It is for the local leadership to decide how much space is appropriate, and within that framework, they must function."

He further added, “The essence of an alliance is cooperation, not the erasure of individuality. Each party must preserve its own character, even while contributing to the collective strength. In fact, maintaining distinct identities is vital for the alliance itself. What we truly need is deeper dialogue among partners, especially on sensitive matters, so that differences are managed constructively and everyone feels more at ease."

On the National Herald issue, Salman Khurshid accused “certain mischievous elements” of deliberately portraying the legal restructuring of the newspaper as a scam.

“This matter has dragged on for over a decade. Enforcement Directorate summoned Rahul Gandhi and interrogated him for five consecutive days, attempting to extract something they could use to press ahead,” he said.

The Congress veteran alleged that when the government failed to establish wrongdoing, “they resorted to their familiar tactic, when someone resists control, they unleash either the CBI or the ED."

He further added, “Court ultimately dismissed the ED’s chargesheet, terming it a unilateral overreach."

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