Slipper to those who insult Sonia, says youth congress chief

Those who speak ill of Sonia Gandhi and her family should be slippered, said Indian Youth Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Brar on Saturday.

Addressing a gathering during the launch of a membership drive of the state Youth Congress, Singh launched a scathing attack on Uttar Pradesh Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who quit the party, saying leaders like her were ‘ungrateful’ to the party.

He said several leaders enjoyed power in the Congress, but had later exited the party and made vicious statements against the Congress high command. Such leaders should not be spared, he said and added, “Inko jooton se maaro” (beat them with slippers).

Joshi, after defecting to the BJP recently, had said that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was “unresponsive” and hence not acceptable to the people of the country.

Brar said that Joshi was being ungrateful, despite enjoying power in the party. Her brother Vijay Bahuguna too had enjoyed power as Uttarakhand chief minister, thanks to the party.

Attacking the BJP, former MP Ramya said that ever since the saffron party had come to power, there had been intolerance in the country. “It is unfortunate that somebody else is dictating to people what they should wear or eat. If this has to be overcome, then the Youth Congress should be strengthened,” she added.

KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao said that this year, the Youth Congress had a target of enrolling 20 lakh members.

Later in the day, four districts - Haveri, Bagalkot, Bengaluru Urban and Mysuru -- were reserved for SC/ST Youth Congress candidates, through a lottery. The membership drive will end on November 18, following which there will be scrutiny and data entry. Elections are likely to be held in the last week of December.