'Foolish' Congress has no idea whom to appoint in Punjab: Swamy

Amid speculations that former Delhi chief Minister Sheila Dikshit will be appointed as the in-charge of AICC Punjab affairs, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Thursday ridiculed the Congress and said that the grand old party is foolish as it is not able to decide whom to appoint in Punjab.

Swamy told ANI, "The Congress is foolish. They don't know whom to appoint in Punjab. In any case the people of Punjab don't like the Congress."

Congress leader Kamal Nath had yesterday resigned as the party's in-charge of Punjab affairs.

The Congress leader came under fire after being appointed as the party's in-charge of Punjab affairs over his alleged involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

In a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Kamal Nath requested her to relieve him from his duties so that the attention of the party is not diverted from real issues such as the 'rampant drug trade' in Punjab.

"Certain elements are raking up these issues now only for political gains. I am touched by the support shown by our party workers and leaders in Punjab in rejecting the false accusations. I am a practitioner of Nehruvian politics and maligning of the Congress party using false accusations is unacceptable to me," Nath said in the letter.

Hoping that the party focuses on the upcoming elections rather than the furore over his appointment, he added the Congress must highlight the issues of misgovernance, misery of farmers and youth, break down of law and order and rampant drug trade in Punjab.

"Given this, I request that I may be relieved of my charge to ensure that the attention is not diverted from the real issues facing Punjab," he said.