G-23 leaders defend Sibal, condemn ‘hooliganism’ outside his residence

New Delhi, Sep 30 (UNI) Former union finance minister and veteran Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Thursday said he felt “hurt and helpless” seeing the pictures of Congress workers raising slogans outside the residence of party leader Kapil Sibal, joining a growing list of party leaders who condemned the incident.

“I feel helpless when we cannot start meaningful conversations within party forums. I also feel hurt and helpless when I see pictures of Congress workers raising slogans outside the residence of a colleague and MP,” Mr Chidambaram said in a tweet, a day after protests were held by Congress workers outside Sibal’s residence in Delhi.

“The safe harbour to which one can withdraw seems to be silence,” he said.
Sibal addressed a press conference on Wednesday, where he said he knew, and yet did not know, who was taking decisions in the Congress as the party had no elected president.
Hours later, a protest was held by party workers outside his house in Delhi’s Chandani Chowk.
A number of Congress leaders from the G-23, a group wrote a letter to AICC president Sonia Gandhi seeking reforms in the party and demanded election of a new president, defended Sibal and expressed shock over the incident.
Former information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari, who is also a part of the group, said, “Those who are trying to defend the ‘command performance’ last night This is what happened at Kapil Sibal’s house. They damaged the car. Stood on top, so it caved in. Threw tomatoes both outside and inside the house. If this is not ‘hooliganism’ then what else is it.”
Former leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, ex-Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former union minister Shashi Tharoor, Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankha and veteran party leader Anand Sharma were also among leaders who raised ‘concerns’ over the incident and called it an “orchestrated hooliganism”.
“I strongly condemn the orchestrated hooliganism at Kapil Sibal’s residence last night. He is a loyal congressman fighting for the party both inside and outside the Parliament. Any suggestion from any quarter should be welcomed instead of suppressing, hooliganism is unacceptable,” Mr Azad said.
Hooda meanwhile said it was “not the culture of Congress”.
“If one has any difference of views, the same should be brought up and discussed at a party forum,” he said.
Mr Tankha took to twitter and called it ‘hooliganism’.
“Never to a person who has fought and saved so many Cong Govts & persons and unmake opposition Govts. People may disagree with him !! Even protest. But not to damage his car. At least in my life I never encouraged or promoted hooliganism,” he said.
Deputy leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma called it a “deplorable action”.
“Shocked and disgusted to hear the news of attack and hooliganism at Kapil Sibal’s house. This deplorable action brings disrepute to the party and needs to be strongly condemned,” he said.
Thiruvananthapuram MP Tharoor also joined the leaders, and said that is shameful Sibal is a “true Congressman”.

“As a democratic party we need to listen to what he has to say, disagree if you must but not in this way. Our priority is to strengthen ourselves to take on the BJP!,” he said.

On Wednesday, former JK CM Azad had written a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi demanding a meeting of the Congress Working Committee.
The comments by Sibal came in the backdrop of upheaval in the party in Punjab, where Captain Amarinder Singh resigned from the post of chief minister, saying he felt ‘humiliated’.
Days later, Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned as the party chief in the state.
The developments prompted the BJP to say that the political upheaval in the border state of Punjab was a threat to national security.
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