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AZAD SAYS HE WAS MISUNDERSTOOD

Days af ter Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's wholesome praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources close to him asserted that he had been "misunderstood". On Tuesday, sources close to Azad said he did not praise the Prime Minister, that he had been clearly misunderstood and that he would clarify "at an opportune moment". The reference to the Prime Minister was only to make a point, since he kept saying he used to sell tea, said the sources. WE HAVE RESPONDED: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, campaigning in Assam on Tuesday, avoided commenting on Anand Sharma and Ghulam Nabi Azad's comments but she defended the party’s alliance in Bengal. "If you are referring to certain comments made yesterday, our West Bengal PCC chief has already responded to those comments," Priyanka Gandhi told NDTV.

DEFENDS ALLIANCE: Asked about the party being accused of aligning with outfits like Badruddin Ajmal's All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) in Assam and the Indian Secular Front (ISF) in Bengal, she said: What is being fought for in Assam is Assam itself. There are differences between ideologies. We may not agree 100% with what our alliance partners believe. But we are together in this fight. Because everybody understands today it is a fight to save Assam," the Congress general secretar y told NDTV.