Bhopal, Jan 22 Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday criticised State Congress President Jitu Patwari for his "groupism is cancer" remark, saying that Patwari has begun a new trend to "present voice in politics".
The Chief Minister said Congress should clear its stand on "who are cancer in the party?".
"Congress has big leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Mallikarjun Kharge and those who run this party should clarify," CM Yadav said during an interaction with media persons in Gwalior.
Patwari's "cancer in Congress" remarks came to the fore after a video surfaced on social media, in which, he was heard saying, "Either we must end this cancer of factionalism, or we will destroy ourselves. What should be done? If we do not terminate the cancer of factionalism, then we will terminate ourselves".
The ruling BJP cornered the Madhya Pradesh Congress unit, saying that Patwari had accepted the truth.
Another BJP leader and Minister of State for Health, Narendra Shivaji Patel, said that Jitu Patwari has accepted the truth within his party but it was too late.
He said the factionalism in Congress has gone such deep in Madhya Pradesh, and therefore it seems the grand old party won't get rid of it.
Talking to IANS, Patel said that factionalism is not new in Congress but it has escalated after Jitu Patwari became the state unit chief.
"Senior leaders like Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath have been sidelined. People of the state have also rejected the Congress. Therefore, what Jitu Patwari has said is correct," he added.
Addressing the party workers given the upcoming programme in Mhow on January 27, Patwari has asserted that, "groupism or factionalism is akin to cancer in Congress, which must end, otherwise the party will be finished".
However, after the criticism from the ruling BJP and also within the Congress, Patwari rejected the notion that his party is divided in Madhya Pradesh.
The State Congress President instead blamed the BJP, saying it is brokered by BJP's IT cell to spread wrong information but he will "deal with it".
Patwari was speaking to media persons on Monday when he was asked about his comments suggesting that "factionalism is cancer in Congress".
Patwari blamed the BJP's public relations department and said that the "BJP's media cell issues its agenda to the media houses".
"Whatever may have to be done to end factionalism in our party, I will do it and we will end it with courage and unity. We will make repeated efforts for this and will shake the foundations of BJP," Patwari said on Monday.
--IANS
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