The Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Monday saw intense action and reactions between the members amid open rebellion after former Congress President Rahul Gandhi targeted party leaders for their timing in asking for a leadership change, while Ghulam Nabi Azad promised to quit if proven to have colluded with the BJP, Kapil Sibal reminded of his unwavering fight to keep the party together.
Minutes later, the tweet was taken down by Kapil Sibal. He said Rahul Gandhi personally told him that he did not make the remark.
Sibal tweeted, " Was informed by Rahul Gandhi personally that he never said what was attributed to him. I therefore withdraw my tweet."
Senior party leader Kapil Sibal, earlier in a tweet said: "Rahul Gandhi says 'we are colluding with BJP'. "Succeeded in Rajasthan High Court defending the Congress Party. Defending party in Manipur to bring down the BJP government. The last 30 years have never made a statement in favor of BJP on any issue. Yet 'we are colluding with the BJP'!"
His remarks came soon after Ghulam Nabi Azad said that he will quit the party if proven that he was colluding with the ruling BJP.
Also Read: Knives out at CWC Meet: Azad dares Rahul Gandhi to prove charges of collusion with BJP
The remarks from the senior Congress leaders came soon after Rahul Gandhi on Monday targeted the party dissenters and questioned the timing of a letter that was sent to interim chief Sonia Gandhi seeking leadership change.
Congress sources said that Rahul Gandhi at the CWC said, "What was the reason to write a letter when Sonia Gandhi was admitted in hospital and when the party was fighting the political crisis in Rajasthan."
Sonia Gandhi was admitted to Sir Ganga Ram Hospital on July 30 for a routine check-up and was discharged on August 2. While the Rajasthan political crisis began on July 11 when former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot rebelled against the party leadership. The Rajasthan crisis was taken care of by the top leadership on August 11.
Earlier as the CWC meeting began, Sonia Gandhi offered to step down from the party's top post. The move was rejected by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as he asked her to continue. As the meeting progressed, senior Congress leader A.K. Antony also questioned the letter written by several party leaders urging for sweeping reforms, and "a full-time, visible leadership".
The CWC meeting comes weeks after the Congress saw a stormy meeting of its Rajya Sabha MPs wherein certain leaders sought introspection on the 2019 poll debacle.
It was thereafter, a bunch of leaders wrote the letter to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi on the issue of leadership change and elections in the CWC.