Congress issues statement on media's 'conjectures' on Rahul Gandhi as party chief, calls rumour-mongering unwarranted

The Congress on Monday issued a statement regarding the Congress Working Committee (CWC) that was held on Saturday to discuss the losses the party faced in the Lok Sabha election 2019. The party slammed the media for “various conjectures, speculations, insinuations, assumptions, gossip, and rumour-mongering”, which is likely to be in reference to reports around whether the Congress president Rahul Gandhi would step down from the post. “(The) Congress party expects everyone, including media, to respect the sanctity of a closed-door meeting of the CWC. Various conjectures, speculations, insinuations, assumptions, gossip, and rumour-mongering in a section of the media is uncalled for and unwarranted,” the statement said.

Congress statement: Congress party expects everyone including media to respect the sanctity of a closed door meeting of the CWC. Various conjectures, speculations, insinuations, assumptions, gossip and rumour mongering in a section of the media is uncalled for and unwarranted. pic.twitter.com/gtv4fsoazn

— ANI (@ANI) May 27, 2019

“CWC held a collective deliberation on the performance of the party, the challenges before it as also the way ahead, instead of casting aspersions on the role or conduct of any specific individual,” it further added. Speculation was rife on Saturday after the CWC meeting that Rahul was “adamant” on resigning from the post of party chief. Rahul and party general secretary for eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi left the venue without addressing the media . Other senior leaders of the Congress, including KC Venugopal and Ghulam Nabi Azad also avoided questions immediately after the meeting. However, a panel of party leaders held a press conference a few hours after the meeting said that the CWC had unanimously rejected Rahul’s offer to resign and authorised him to overhaul and restructure the party at all levels. “The CWC called upon the Rahul Gandhi to lead the party in its ideological battle and to champion the cause of India’s youth, the farmers, the SC, ST, OBCs, the minorities, the poor and the deprived sections,” a resolution passed by the panel said.