NEW DELHI: The first salvo against the Prime Minister, Narasimha Rao was fired by the AICC member and former Union Minister, K.K. Tewary on Dec,10 Who demanded that he step down from the president ship of the party following the party’s’ “decimation”” in Andhra Pradesh and Kamataka assembly elections.
The irrepressible Congress leader from Bihar, who has been accusing the present Congress leadership of attempts to erase “the legacy of Nehru, Indira and Rajiv Gandhi’ said a more active role in party affairs by Sonia Gandhi was the only way to resurrect the Congress. He announced at a press conference last week that he would soon initiate a move to requisition a Special session of the AICC to discuss the party’s performance in recently held assembly elections.
Tewary was of the view that the special two day session of the AICE should be requisitioned to throw anew team and new agenda to enable the party to face crucial elections in five states early next year.
He pointed out that so far, Ms. Sonia Gandhi had kept herself aloof from politics, “But the time has come for all Congressmen to press her to accept the challenge and save the party for which her husband and her mother-in-law laid down their lives.”
“The AICC has to be given a new face to restore the confidence of the poor, youth, minorities and intellectuals in the party,” he said, terming the performance of the party in the Assembly elections in Kamataka and Andhra Pradesh as “not defeat but decimation.” ‘Tewary said the party’s defeat ‘was the result of a totally personalized campaign style of the party leadership: Justifying his demand for a change in leadership, the AIC member said “those who have wielded total authority should also accept the moral authority for the defeat,” ‘Though Tewary’s might appear a lone voice in the midst of low key murmuring, his open allegations against the Rao government for its efforts to embarrass 10 Janpath have struck a sympathetic chord among the Rajiv loyalists. Tewary saw “sinister design” in the sudden move by the government to dig out the Bofors scandal. “Why is the government silent on much more serious scandals, including the securities scam, the sugar scam and the ISRO spy scandal?” he asked.
The ex-minister pointed out that the government’s obstructionist attitude toward the Commission amounted to shielding the assassins or Rajiv Gandhi.”
Article extracted from this publication >> December 16, 1994
