ONLY GANDHIS CAN LEAD PARTY BACK TO GLORY: CAPT

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Sunday opposed the bid by some Congress leaders to challenge the Gandhi family leadership in the party, saying this is not the time to raise such an issue.

In a statement, Amarinder said the need today is for a strong opposition against the Bjp-led NDA which is out to destroy the country’s constitutional ethos and democratic principles.

Terming the demand for a leadership change as “untenable”, Captain noted the “immense contribution” of the Gandhi family to the country’s progress since it achieved freedom from the British rule.

“The Gandhis were the only universally recognisable face of the Congress, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari,” the Punjab chief minister stressed, pointing out that the five generations that had served the country since the pre-independence times had sacrificed their lives for the nation.

“Electoral defeats could not be the yardstick for the leadership change,” he said, adding that just because the Congress was down at the moment did not mean the Gandhis’ contribution to its growth could or should be undermined

“What the Congress needs is a leadership that is acceptable not just to a few, but to the entire party, through its rank and file, and the nation at large,” he said, adding that the Gandhis were the right choice for this role.