A day after he made a veiled attack on the Congress leadership ahead of assembly polls in Uttarakhand over "lack of cooperation" from the state unit, party leader and former Chief Minister Harish Rawat spoke of his being a party loyalist who was devoted to welfare of the state.
Interacting with the media in Haridwar, Rawat refused to comment on the apparent tussle in the party unit. "Kadam kadam badhae jaa, Congress ke geet gae jaa. Zingadi hai Uttarakhand ke vaaste Uttarakhand par lutae jaa (Keep on marching forward, sing praises of the Congress, life is for Uttarkhand, devote it to Uttarakhand)," he said in his cryptic reply as he used lines of Hindi song.
Rawat, who left for Delhi to meet party leadership, met his supporters in Haridwar at an event and paid tributes to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh on his birth anniversary.
Rawat had on Wednesday made a veiled attack in tweets on the Congress leadership ahead of assembly polls in the state stating that the "nominees of those whose directions one has to swim (in the electoral battle) are tying my hands and feet".
In his cryptic tweets, Rawat has also expressed anguish at factionalism in the state unit saying there was "non-cooperation" from the party organisation in the state at most places and that thought has been crossing his mind that "it is time to rest".
Rawat, a member of the Congress Working Committee, is seen as the party's face for the elections in Uttarakhand.
Rawat had also expressed faith that Lord Kedarnath will provide him guidance in the new year."Isn't it strange, one has to swim in the sea in the form of the forthcoming electoral battle, instead of cooperation, the organisational structure at most places is turning its face away or is playing a negative role," Rawat said in his tweet.
"There are many crocodiles of the ruling dispensation. On whose directions one has to swim, their nominees are tying my hands and feet," he added.
Rawat also cited lines associated with Gita."And then quietly in a corner of mind, a voice is erupting, 'na denyam, na palaynam' (one who does not bow, does not flee). Perhaps the new year will show the way. I have faith that Lord Kedarnath will will provide me guidane in this situation," he said.
Capt Amarinder Singh, who resigned as Punjab Chief Minister earlier this year and floated his own party, took a dig at Harish Rawat over his tweets."You reap what you sow! All the best for your future endeavours (if there are any) @harishrawatcmukji," he said in a tweet.
Congress leader Manish Tewari also took a swipe at Harish Rawat, who was AICC incharge of both Punjab and Assam, over the way matters were being held in poll-bound Uttarakhand. "FIRST ASSAM THEN PUNJAB NOW UTTRAKHAND.....BHOG POORA HI PAUN GAYE KASAR NA RAHE JAWE KOI," Tewari said in his tweet. Tewari's tweet was also seen as a veiled reference to the party leadership's handling of affairs in different states. Rawat had resigned as Assam incharge of Congress after the party's poor performance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
( With inputs from ANI )
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