"Indulging Dissenters Too Much Will...": Congress Leader On Sonia Gandhi, G-23 Meet

With Congress president Sonia Gandhi meeting leaders of the G-23 grouping to resolve internal party issues, former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday said "indulging the dissenters too much" will encourage more dissent.

"Indulging the dissenters - 'too much' - will not only undermine the authority but also encourage more dissent while discouraging the cadre at the same time," he tweeted.

He also posted his tweet in Hindi, saying, "Jhukh Kar Salaam Karne Mein Kya Harj Hai Magar, Sar Itna Mat Jhukao Ki Dastar Gir Pade".

Mr Jakhar also posted some newspaper clippings of Sonia Gandhi's meeting with the G-23 leaders along with the tweet.

Days after meeting Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mrs Gandhi had on Tuesday met some more leaders of the G-23 grouping, including Anand Sharma and Manish Tewari, at her residence in Delhi and held discussions on resolving the internal party issues.

The Congress president is likely to meet more leaders of the group in the coming days. Tuesday's interaction was part of the series of meetings that the Congress top leadership is having with some of the leaders who have raised critical organisational issues and have suggested measures to revamp the party.

These meetings are being held amidst indications that some of the G-23 leaders may be accommodated in the Congress Working Committee or a new body like the Parliamentary Board, which will be responsible for all policy decisions, including finalising chief ministerial candidates and tie-ups with like-minded parties in states.

Earlier, following the Congress' defeat in the Punjab Assembly elections, Mr Jakhar had hit out at former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and called him a liability whose "greed pulled the party down".

Without taking any names, Mr Jakhar had also targeted senior Congress leader Ambika Soni for trying to project Mr Channi as an asset to the party.