AFTER ANTI-RAHUL RANT, MAHA CONGRESS & FAMILY ‘DISOWN’ POONAWALLA

A day after Congress’ Maharashtra activist Shehzad Poonawalla asked the party’s national Vice President Rahul Gandhi to resign before contesting the elections for party President, the state unit and his family members virtually “disowned” him on Thursday.

State Congress President Ashok Chavan said Poonawalla’s remarks were aimed at getting “cheap publicity”, to which the party gives no importance.

Questioning Poonawalla’s locus standi, he said there is no truth in his allegations nor is Poonawalla a representative or leader of the party, has remained inactive since the past couple of years and done nothing for the party.

“Moreover, the newlyelected Pradesh Congress Committee representatives (delegates) have unanimously adopted a resolution asking Rahul Gandhi to contest the Congress President’s election,” Chavan pointed out.

He condemned Poonawalla for his reckless utterances when the election process is underway in a free and transparent manner, and said it was aimed at deriving media attention.

Shahzad’s brother Tehseen Poonawalla, who is also with the state Congress, quickly declared that he “officially ended all relationship with (Shehzad)”. “I have never been this hurt. We needed to defeat the BJP. This is unacceptable. I’m very, very hurt today. Been stabbed in the backa and how,” Tehseen said in a tweet.

Tehseen’s wife - Monicka Vadera-Poonawalla followed suit and also expressed full support to her husband and all his statements in the matter which has snowballed into a raging controversy.

“My family and I neither have any relation, association, nor wish to comment on the issue or the said individual Shehzad Poonawalla. Please refrain from tweeting/contacting me for the same,” Monicka declared in her tweet.

State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said Poonawalla was not even a primary member of the party, so where was the question of him being a leader or a PCC representative.