Congress to hold emergency CWC meeting under G23 pressure amid Punjab crisis

Amid Congress crumbling in many states of the country, party leader Randeep Surjewala on Thursday asserted that a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting will soon be convened. The development comes following the demands of a CWC meeting by the G23 leaders like Kapil Sibal. The G23 leaders had written to the high command in 2020, asking for radical change in the party.

After Rahul Gandhi's resignation from the post in 2019, Sonia Gandhi had taken over as the interim president of the party saying that it was a 'temporary arrangement', and a new president will soon be chosen in a CWC meeting. It has been 2 years, but the Congress party still does not have a permanent president as the CWC meetings have time and again been deferred citing the COVID situation in the country. 

'Maybe Congress is also at fault': G23 leaders  

Kapil Sibal on Wednesday had held a press briefing on behalf of the G23 leaders who wrote a letter to the Congress high command seeking radical in the party. Underlining that they were yet to receive a reply, the veteran leader said, "I am here today with a heavy heart. In the past, we were proud of Congress leadership but can't look at the situation my party is in today. It breaks my heart. It is saddening."

"Today Congressmen are leaving Congress. Sushmita Deb, Former Goa CM, Jitin Prasad, Scindia, etc have left Congress," he added, with a question, "Why are leaders leaving Congress? We have to introspect, maybe Congress is also at fault."

After Sibal's press briefing several Indian Youth Congress (IYC) workers staged a protest outside his house in New Delhi. Leaders of G23- Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma came forward to slam the protest. Ghulam Nabi Azad took to his Twitter handle and condemned the 'orchestrated hooliganism' outside Sibal's residence. Azad in his tweet outlined that Sibal is a loyal congressman fighting for the party both inside and outside the parliament and any suggestion from any quarter should be welcomed in the party.

Anand Sharma, on the other hand, urged party chief Sonia Gandhi to take strong action against Congress workers who protested outside Sibal's house. Sharma condemned hooliganism and said that violence is alien to Congress values. 

Channi offers Sidhu a 'truce formula'

Meanwhile, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi earlier in the day held a meeting with PPCC President Navjot Singh Sidhu to end the political crisis in the state. In the meeting, Channi assured that the DGP, as well as the AG, will be changed. However, Sidhu remain hell-bent on the change of the Home Minister as well, which was denied. 

A committee, as per sources, will be formed to look into the appointments. The committee will consist of Charanjit Singh Channi, Navjot Singh Sidhu, and Harish Chaudhary.