Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday read the riot act to party leaders, saying they will have to make way for new leaders if they ignore organisational work or are incapable of successfully undertaking the work assigned to them.
Kharge's warning came at the meeting of the party's Steering Committee, which decided to hold its Plenary Session in Chhattisgarh capital Raipur in the second half of February and launch a two-month 'Haath se Haath Jodo Abhiyan' starting from January 26 as a follow up to the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.
At the meeting attended by former president Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders, Kharge stressed on "organisational accountability from top to bottom" and said Congress could win elections and serve the country only if its organisation is "strong, accountable, and lives up to the expectations of the people".
Opening the deliberations outlining what he expected specially from General Secretaries and state in-charges when it came to organisational responsibilities, Kharge minced no words when he said some leaders in the party believe that the leadership will surely look the other way if they do not deliver on their responsibilities.
"While there are a number of people who carry out party work with full responsibility, some of the leaders think that the leadership will ignore them even if they do not deliver on assigned responsibilities. This is neither right nor acceptable. Those who are not capable of delivering should have to make way for new people," he said.
Asked about Kharge's remarks, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal told reporters that the party will not allow anyone to keep positions as an "ornament". He said the party will closely monitor the performance of leaders, who are mandated to work full-time for the party.
Kharge wanted General Secretaries and in-charges to be more active and prepare a blueprint keeping the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in mind.
Indicating what he expected the General Secretaries and in-charges to do, Kharge asked whether they visit the assigned states at least for ten days in a month and whether they have every district and other units to understand the ground situation.
He also wanted to know whether district and block committees have been formed in states and whether new faces are being inducted in leadership. Kharge also pointedly asked about leadership in district and block level that have not seen a change for more than five years.
He also wanted to know the outline for activities planned for the next 30 to 90 days in states to take up issues of public interest.
"How many times agitations have taken place at block, district and state level on the orders of AICC? Are the frontal organisations and party departments and their units raising the voice of those sections for which they have been formed?" he said, adding, "In states where assembly elections are to be held between today and 2024, what is the planning and activity schedule that has been finalised?"
"Unless you yourself, your secretaries, state Congress presidents, party's MLAs and MPs do not prepare a blueprint for all these and other important things and implement them at the ground level, our responsibility cannot be fulfilled," he added.
Hailing the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Kharge said it is scripting history and has now taken the form of a national movement. "It is a movement that has called for a decisive war against the back-breaking inflation, unemployment, intolerable economic and social inequality, and the politics of hatred in the country," he said.
He said a large number of non-Congress people, including some who used to criticise the party, are associated with the resolve of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress through the yatra.
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Alleging that the Narendra Modi government has been attacking people's rights, he said it is the responsibility of the Congress to fight to protect them.
"When the monthly budget of the poor or middle class gets upset, then it is an attack on his life. When the country's economy has fallen flat on its face, the country's rupee keeps falling along with the credibility of the government, then it is an attack on the development and progress of the country. When there is no employment for crores of capable youth, and existing jobs also keep decreasing, then it is an attack on the livelihood of the country," Kharge said.
"When there is an atmosphere of insecurity among Dalits, tribals, backward, minorities, deprived and exploited people of the country, and the government suppresses their rights every day, then it is an attack on the lives of the people of the country,'' he said.
Kharge also said that when China is trying to occupy India's land and constructing new military set ups every day and the government remains "silent", then it is an attack on the integrity of the country.