Sanjay Nirupam should stop fuelling conspiracy theories: Congress

The Congress on Friday asked its former Mumbai unit chief Sanjay Nirupam to stop fuelling conspiracy theories, after he launched a vitriolic attack on the party leadership for not granting party tickets to his supporters.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari also asked former Haryana Congress unit chief Ashok Tanwar to stop making statements against the party ahead of the assembly elections in the state and asked him to act responsibly.

Tewari said the two leaders, who have held top positions in the party, should realise that their statements should not help those who have brought the nation to this passe.

"Mr Sanjay Nirupam would be well advised to restrain himself. It would be appropriate if he does not kite fly these conspiracy theories that are unimaginative," he told reporters.

Tewari said it is understandable that there are differences over ticket distribution and these two leaders are angry over it, but asked them to work with maturity and sagacity.

Nirupam, the former chief of Mumbai Congress, has launched a revolt against the party leadership after some of his supporters were not granted party ticket despite being recommended by him.

The Congress also faces discontent in Haryana and Maharashtra over ticket distribution ahead of the assembly polls. Former chiefs of the party's units in Haryana and Mumbai on Thursday resigned from the election committees and deciding to stay away from the campaign respectively.

A day after protesting outside Congress president Sonia Gandhi's residence in Delhi over alleged irregularities in ticket distribution, former Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar quit the election committees of the party but said he would continue to work as an ordinary party worker.

Nirupam, who joined the Congress after he quit the Shiv Sena in 2005, has also threatened to quit the party.