It's not generation tussle, says miffed Congress youth brigade

Congress secretaries, who had attacked senior leaders for airing their differences on the party leadership in public, are an angry lot. According to them, an effort is going on in the party to project their opinion as a fight between the old guard and the youth brigade.

The secretaries also tried to dispel the perception that the party leadership had reprimanded them and asked to pipe down. More than half the strength of 42 secretaries, who met again last weekend, were also angry that instead of projecting a united front when the Congress was at its weakest electorally, certain leaders were bent on transgressing party discipline. This has given an impression that the party is a divided house. Incidentally, a majority of these 42 secretaries have been handpicked by Rahul Gandhi and have moved up the ranks through the Youth Congress and National Students Union of India.

Former MP Sandeep Dikshit’s recent outburst against the “young” AICC secretaries is one such instance. Dikshit had spoken out, despite the party’s instruction that no one should speak out of turn. Dikshit told a news channel that this group of junior leaders were reducing Rahul Gandhi to a "factional leader".

Zubair Khan, secretary attached to the in-charge of party affairs in Uttar Pradesh, Madhusudan Mistry, told Business Standard: “It is a completely false impression that is being conveyed by certain sections that it’s a seniors versus juniors fight. In fact, we have the support of several senior senior general secretaries. All that we are trying to ensure is that party discipline is maintained and wrong image of the of the party is not portrayed.”

Even senior-most secretaries Mirza Baig and Deepak Babaria take part in brainstorming sessions regularly.

Evidently, secretaries are backed by key Rahul Gandhi aide Mistry. Senior leaders like Digvijaya Singh had embarrassed the party with his comments on the Gandhi scion. Insiders say, “Through these hand-picked secretaries, a stern message had been sent out to these high-profile leaders.” After this, Singh has toned down his statements.

Significantly, when Rahul Gandhi was asked whether there was an open dissension within the party, had dismissed it, saying there was none. However, not even once did he censure the group of young secretaries.

A group  17 secretaries had submitted a signed letter to senior leader Janardan Dwivedi, urging to him direct party leaders not to speak their views to the media.