Cong serves notice to R'than MLA over remarks against Gehlot

The Congress Thursday issued a notice to its MLA from Rajasthan's Todabhim over his remarks against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot after the party drew a blank in the recent Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Todabhim MLA Prithviraj Meena had on Wednesday said Gehlot should bear responsibility for the party's election drubbing and be replaced by his deputy Sachin Pilot as chief minister.

The Congress also issued an advisory asking its leaders to refrain from making statements in media or on social media that can "hurt the party's dignity".

At the AICC briefing in New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said the concerned MLA, who raised the issue of the chief minister's resignation, has been served a notice by Congress Rajasthan in-charge Avinash Pande and others have been warned against making such remarks in public.

The structure of the 133-year-old party is such that it handles the issues at the local level in the state, he said.

"We do not make any compromises on internal democracy," he added.

Pande said it is the collective responsibility of Congress workers to ensure that the party's image is not affected.

Over the last few days, some incidents, which have "hurt the party's dignity", have come to notice. It is the responsibility of party workers to be disciplined and not give statements publicly, directly or indirectly, in media or on social media which reflect that any individual is damaging the party for his interests and working for his individual agenda, Pande, also the Congress national general secretary, said in a statement.

Unwanted statements fulfil the negative objectives of the opposition BJP and take their agenda of damaging the Congress forward, he said.

Pande asked the party workers to work unitedly as disciplined soldiers during the worst of circumstances and not deviate from the target for which people voted the party to power.