Congress workers demonstrated outside veteran Congress leader Kapil Sibal’s residence on Wednesday hours after Sibal addressed a press conference where he raised several questions to the party leadership and said that G-23, the group of rebel leaders, is not for ‘Ji Huzoori’ and they will continue raising questions that need to be asked. Sibal also said he does not know who makes decisions in the party as the party does not have a president. “We know but we don’t know,” Sibal said, reiterating that the election of a president was one of the demands of the G-23.

The sharp criticism did not go down well with a section of party workers who agitated in front of Kapil Sibal’s residence with placards that read ‘Get well soon, Kapil Sibal’.

Youth Congress national president BV Srinivas took to Twitter and in a reply to Kapil Sibal’s ‘who is the party president?’, said, “Suniye Ji-Huzoor, the party president is the one who always ensured that you reach Parliament, who made you a minister when the party was in power, who made you a Rajya Sabha member when the party has been in the opposition. And now when the time comes for struggle…”

Congress leader Ajay Maken also took exception to Sibal’s comment and said despite having no organisational background, Kapil Sibal was made a Union minister; by Sonia Gandhi. “Sonia Gandhi is the president. She had ensured that Kapil Sibal becomes a minister in Union Cabinet despite not having organisational background. They must understand that Congress is the party that gave them recognition. At least, they should not openly criticise the party in the media. Everyone at the party is being heard,” Maken said. 

Congress leader TS Singh Deo termed Kapil Sibal’s ‘no president’ comment as misleading. “Sonia Gandhi Ji is making decisions in the party. Unfortunate that an experienced person like Kapil Sibal doesn’t know decisions are being taken. Those committed to the ideology of Congress will never leave the party,” he said.

The recent developments in Punjab led to Congress versus Congress situation in the party and also in the Punjab unit as even after Captain Amarinder Singh’s resignation from the post of the chief minister, the infighting is on with Navjot Singh Sidhu and Charanjit Singh Channi not being on the same page over the allocation of portfolios.