“The move by these Congress leaders to demand a rehaul of the party at this critical juncture would be detrimental to its interests, and the interests of the nation,” he said.
“What the Congress needs is a leadership that is acceptable not just to a few but to the entire party, through its rank and file, and the nation at large,” he said, adding that the Gandhis were the right fit for this role.
“Sonia Gandhi should continue to helm the Congress as long as she wants,” he said, adding that Rahul Gandhi should thereafter take over as he is fully competent to lead the party.
Ahead of the Congress Working Committee meeting on Monday, different voices have emerged within the party with one section comprising sitting MPs and former ministers demanding a collective leadership, while another group has sought the return of Rahul Gandhi to the helm.
The Punjab CM said India is currently facing not just external dangers from across the border but also internal threats to its federal structure, adding that a unified Congress alone could protect the country and its people.
Terming the demand for a leadership change as “untenable”, Singh noted the immense contribution of the Gandhi family to the country’s progress since it achieved freedom from the British rule.
He said the credit for that went to the Gandhis, without whose selfless commitment, dedication and unimaginable sacrifices, the party would not have stood like a rock in the path of the BJP and its “Sanghi ambitions” to divide the country on the lines of caste and religion.
At a time when the very bedrock of India’s constitutional strength is under threat, it is important for every Congress man and woman to stand firmly and unitedly behind the Gandhis, who had held the party together all these decades and could continue to do so, he said.
“There is currently no leader in the Congress who could give the party that kind of strong leadership,” he said, urging one and all to put the interests of the party and the nation above their own.
“The Gandhis were the only universally recognisable face of the Congress, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari,” the Chief Minister stressed, pointing out that the five generations that had served the country since the pre-Independence times had sacrificed their lives for the nation.
“Electoral defeats could not be the yardstick for the leadership change,” he said, adding that just because the Congress was down at the moment did not mean the Gandhis’ contribution to its growth could or should be undermined.
Amarinder Singh warned that any move to divide or destabilise the party would give advantage to the dictatorial forces that are seeking to trample the ideals on which our founding fathers had built modern India, that is respected by the world today.“The destruction of those ideals would trigger the devastation not just of the Congress but India as a whole,” he cautioned.
US more cautious on global commitments s…
05-11-2024
During an event in Canberra, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that the United States is anticipated to embrace a more inward-looking approach, regardless of who wins the upcoming...
Read moreWine traders accuse Karnataka mantri of …
05-11-2024
Karnataka's Excise Minister RB Timmapur is facing accusations of demanding a ₹16 crore bribe from excise officials. The Karnataka Wine Merchants' Association alleges widespread bribery and money laundering within the...
Read moreOpposition MPs meet Birla, protest waqf …
05-11-2024
The Dawoodi Bohra community, in a deposition before a parliamentary committee, argued against being included under the purview of any waqf board, including the separate board proposed for Bohras and...
Read moreSeers back Akhara Parishad demand on 'no…
05-11-2024
Hindu saints in Prayagraj have voiced their support for the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad's proposal to ban non-Hindu vendors from the Maha Kumbh mela area. They argue that the...
Read moreWaqf Board claims ownership of Bidar For…
05-11-2024
The Waqf Board's claim on the historic Bidar Fort, a protected monument under ASI custody for over 70 years, has shocked officials. A 2005 notification listed the fort as...
Read moreParliament set to take up waqf, ONOE bil…
05-11-2024
India's Parliament is gearing up for a potentially turbulent winter session, scheduled from November 25th to December 20th, with contentious bills like the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and a 'one nation...
Read moreHealth groups join patent war over spina…
05-11-2024
Public health groups are challenging Roche's attempt to block a generic version of its expensive Spinal Muscular Atrophy drug, Risdiplam. They argue that Roche's patent infringement lawsuit against Natco Pharma...
Read moreRelief for 12L+ students as SC upholds v…
05-11-2024
The Supreme Court upheld the Uttar Pradesh Board of Madrasa Education Act, stating that minorities do not have an absolute right to administer educational institutions. While the state can regulate...
Read moreGovernment writes to Wikipedia over plai…
05-11-2024
The Indian government has raised concerns with Wikipedia regarding alleged bias and inaccuracies in its content. The government has questioned Wikipedia's intermediary status, suggesting it should be held accountable...
Read moreIndia's 10 most polluted cities in Octob…
05-11-2024
Delhi and its surrounding National Capital Region dominated India's most polluted cities in October, according to a CREA analysis. Despite pollution control measures, these cities experienced significantly higher PM2.5...
Read moreVanishing stripes: 25 of 75 tigers missi…
05-11-2024
Twenty-five tigers have vanished from Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park in the past year, prompting an official inquiry. The disappearances, a steep increase from previous years, have raised concerns about...
Read more2 caught with body in bag at railway sta…
05-11-2024
A 43-year-old man from Nellore and his teenage daughter were apprehended at Minjur railway station for attempting to abandon a suitcase containing the body of a 65-year-old woman. The man...
Read more3 labourers die at bullet train site as …
05-11-2024
Tragedy struck a Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train construction site near Vadodara, Gujarat, as a temporary structure collapsed, claiming the lives of three laborers. The incident occurred when steel and concrete blocks...
Read more3 cousins drown in Ganga while attending…
05-11-2024
Three cousins tragically drowned in the Ganga river during Chhath Puja celebrations in Bhagalpur, Bihar. The incident occurred as the children were bathing at Mohanpur Ghat as part of the...
Read moreIsro set to launch EU's Sun observatory …
05-11-2024
India and the European Union are strengthening their space collaboration with ISRO set to launch the EU's Proba-3 spacecraft in December. This mission, consisting of two satellites, will study the...
Read moreInterfaith couple kill selves in UP
05-11-2024
An interfaith couple in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, was found dead in their respective homes in a suspected case of suicide. The couple, who had known each other since childhood, faced...
Read moreAmit Shah joins NDA huddle to chalk out …
05-11-2024
NDA leaders convened at BJP headquarters to strategize for the ongoing assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, as well as upcoming electoral challenges. The meeting aimed to unify the alliance's...
Read moreDoval, Nigerian NSA hold talks to boost …
05-11-2024
India and Nigeria strengthened their counter-terrorism cooperation during a dialogue in New Delhi. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his Nigerian counterpart Nuhu Ribadu discussed threats posed by terrorism...
Read morePromptly counter fake news, top official…
05-11-2024
The Indian government is taking steps to combat the spread of fake news and misinformation on social media. The Cabinet Secretariat has directed all secretaries to promptly respond to such...
Read moreSC ruling on properties puts wealth dist…
05-11-2024
The Supreme Court ruled against extending the concept of 'material resources' to private assets, reigniting the debate on wealth redistribution sparked during the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress party had...
Read more