GPCC chief to Hardik: Let’s talk, BJP creating false image of Congress

“When I saw the tweet, I rang him up. I told him that news of you being upset with the party has come through media. Let’s sit and talk… what are your complaints and against whom. Even in the past, whenever Hardik gave any statement to the media, I have always approached him first on phone,” said Thakor.

“I spoke to him regarding the same concern a week ago when he told me that he was busy with the arrangements of his father’s first death anniversary and promised me that once it is over, we will sit and talk,” the GPCC president added.

On Tuesday, Patel had tweeted an interview of his and wrote, “I am in Congress currently. I hope the central leaders find a way so that I continue to remain in the Congress. There are others who want Hardik to leave the Congress. They want to break my morale.”

Recently in an interview to The Indian Express, Patel had referred to his post of working president in Gujarat Congress as that of a “newly married groom forced to undergo vasectomy (nasbandi)”. He had also claimed that he was deliberately sidelined and kept out of decision-making process in the Pradesh Congress Committee.

Patel had also praised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its work structure recently, thereby fanning speculations of him defecting from Congress.

“Many media reports have come of such regard. But the truth is that today Hardik is a senior leader and working president of Congress in Gujarat. Regarding the speculations, I believe he is best suited to clarify them,” said Thakor.

The GPCC president also responded to the allegations of lack of disciplinary action by Congress against Hardik over his recent statements that, “we would not like to discuss party’s internal decisions with the media”.

Thakor also accused the BJP of allegedly creating a false propaganda in media to present a “weak image of Congress”.

Responding to the recent development of Bharatiya Tribal Party announcing an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party, Thakor said, “I think it is a falsely narrated idea that a party like Congress, which has been in Gujarat since its inception, will get nervous after one or two organisations from outside come here and contest polls. There is not a single village in Gujarat where we don’t have our 5-25 workers or where we don’t have a vote base. The BJP has been running a malicious false campaign on media and social media against Congress that this party is not visible on ground.”