'Not Ji Huzoor-23': Kapil Sibal takes a dig at Congress leadership, faces protests by party workers

New Delhi: Hours after he raised questions over the functioning of the Congress, senior party leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday came under attacks from several quarters with party workers also protesting outside his house. Referring to the crisis in Punjab, Sibal demanded an immediate meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) be convened and wondered who in the party was taking decisions in the absence of a full-time president.

#WATCH | We (leaders of G-23) are not the ones who will leave the party & go anywhere else. It is ironic. Those who were close to them (party leadership) have left & those whom they don't consider to be close to them are still standing with them: Congress leader Kapil Sibal pic.twitter.com/q5RP2cUQKN

— ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2021

Sibal, a member of the ‘Group of 23’ which last year had written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, said at a press conference that the grouping is “not a Jee Huzur 23” and will continue to put forth the views and will continue to repeat the demands. Carrying ‘Get Well Soon Kapil Sibal’ placards and raising slogans against Sibal, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) workers protested outside his Jor Bagh residence, saying they were “hurt” by his remarks. “The workers went there on their own accord as they felt hurt by Sibal’s remarks. They just expressed their disappointment over the remarks,” a senior DPCC functionary said on condition of anonymity. The protesters raised slogans against Sibal asking him to “leave the party”. Several leaders hit out at Sibal for what they said was questioning the leadership from which he had earlier “benefitted”. Youth Congress chief Srinivas BV said on Twitter, “Listen ‘Ji-Huzoor’: The ‘President’ and ‘Leadership’ of the party are the same, who always ensured your entry in Parliament, made you a ‘minister’ during the good times of the party, when in opposition, ensured your entry into Rajya Sabha, always rewarded with responsibilities in good and bad times. And when the ’time’ came for struggle, then.” Congress general secretary Ajay Maken and Chhattisgarh minister TS Singhdeo hit out at Sibal for his remarks. Delhi Congress leader Alka Lamba also slammed Sibal, alleging that she kept requesting him in the 2020 Assembly elections to come to Chandni Chowk and campaign but he did not come. “The workers whom Sibal called for a meeting at his home ahead of the polls, they joined Aam Aadmi Party the next day. Will the Congress run on these people’s strength?” Lamba said on Twitter.