Press Briefing Thursday, 16 July 2009

Shri Janardan Dwivedi addressed the media today along with Shri Digvijay Singh.



Shri Janardan Dwivedi said that whatever happened in Uttar Pradesh last night was very unfortunate. He said that the Congress President Smt. Sonia Gandhi has expressed her deep pain and anguish over the events that have taken place. He further said that an official statement on behalf of the Congress party would be issued and the copies would be available at the end of this press conference.

Shri Janardan Dwivedi then read out the Press Release.

“The Congress party stands for the highest standards in public debate on issues that touch the people. The values bequeathed to it by its founders are explicit in the civilized engagement it has traditionally had with political adversaries, no matter to which party they belong to.

In this background, the party regrets the personal element in reference to UP Chief Minister Ms. Mayawati in Smt. Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s remarks. The Congress party holds all women in the highest esteem and does not believe in crossing the limits of sobriety even in the most provocative of circumstances.

That said, atrocities against women, especially those belonging to the weaker sections, need to be addressed effectively by the UP Government without delay.

The credibility and fairness of the Mayawat regime would also be on test in the way it deals with arsonists who in a deeply condemnable incident set Smt. Joshi’s house on fire.”

To a question on whether Smt. Rita Bahuguna Joshi would be removed from the post of UPCC President, Shri Janardan Dwivedi said that in any political organization decisions are not taken in haste. He said that all the aspects of a problem have to be taken into consideration before reaching the conclusion. He added that Smt. Rita Bahuguna Joshi was in jail right now and a decision could be taken only after an explanation is sought from her.

To a question on Mayawati’s allegations that Congress workers were involved in the burning of Smt. Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s house, Shri Janardan Dwivedi said that he would not like to comment on this. He said that this matter would go to court now and would be investigated and one should wait for the outcome of these investigations.

To a question on whether the Congress party would be more careful in the future and ensure that important posts in the party are given only to those who have been groomed with the Congress party’s culture and not to those who have defected from other parties and had joined the Congress party, Shri Janardan Dwivedi said that this was a very broad question connected with the party ideology and the party organization. From this point of view, the Congress party in principal agrees with above. But as far as individual personalities were concerned, Shri Janardan Dwivedi said that one expects that responsible leaders from all parties must use restrained language.

To a question on what would be the political fall-out of this incident (in UP) considering the fact that Mayawati is seen as a big Dalit leader and the impact it would have on the Congress party’s attempts at wooing the Dalit votebank, Shri Digvijay Singh said that the Congress party has been fighting for the Dalit cause since 1920’s and would continue to do so irrespective of whether they get the requisite support or not. He said that this was one of the basic commitments of the Congress party to the Dalits and weaker sections. He said that the Congress party does not go into things like political fall-out and other such considerations and the commitment of the Congress party to the socio-economic development of the Dalits and Tribals was not negotiable.

To a question, Shri Digvijay Singh said that according to his information, at the time when Smt. Rita Joshi’s house was set on fire, the media had already been informed and the police was present at the scene. He further said that the arsonists chanted slogans against Smt. Rita Joshi and in favour of Smt. Mayawati. Also, the name of Babloo Tewari, a BSP MLA was mentioned in the FIR but still no action has been taken he said. He added that the allegations made by Mayawati, accusing Congress party workers in this incident, were totally false. He said that the Congress party demands a CBI enquiry into the matter as the state machinery was totally biased and already there were growing instances of cases being registered by the police which were all but politically motivated.

To a question on Mayawati demanding Smt. Sonia Gandhi’s apology despite the fact that Smt. Rita Bahuguna Joshi had already apologised and the BJP too making a demand that the national leadership of the Congress party should apologise and whether this implied that the BJP and BSP were using this opportunity together to play politics, Shri Digvijay Singh said that the BJP always indulged in double speak. He said that Maneka Gandhi and other BJP leaders demanded that the UP government should be dissolved. But now the BJP says that the Congress party should apologise. This was nothing but a reflection of their hypocrisy he added.

To a question on the Congress party’s view on imposing President’s Rule in UP. Shri Digvijay Singh said that the UP government was an elected one and it had a right to complete its full term. But ultimately this decision will not be taken by the Congress party. It will be taken by the Union administration after consultation with the Hon’ble Governor.

To a question on whether this incident was a setback to the efforts being made by Shri Rahul Gandhi and Shri Digvijay Singh to revive the Congress party in UP, Shri Digvijay Singh said that he did not think one unrelated statement could affect the Congress party’s commitment towards the socio-economic development of the Dalits and Tribals and he made it clear that the Congress party would continue to work for them irrespective of the political consequences.

To a question, Shri Digvijay Singh said that the Congress party has made it clear that the party disowns itself from the statement made by Smt. Rita Bahuguna Joshi. He said that this case would be fought in the court. But as far as those who were involved and responsible for the open vandalism were concerned, they must be booked and arrested immediately. And until that is done, the Congress party’s agitations would continue.



 

(Tom Vadakkan)

Secretary, AICC