Senior Congress leader Kiran Choudhary trains guns on Hooda camp again

Chandigarh: Senior Haryana Congress leader Kiran Choudhary on Monday again launched a veiled attack on the former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda camp, saying those holding high party posts have the responsibility to take everyone along.

Speaking to reporters in Rohtak, Choudhary said the party gets strengthened if everybody works together.

Otherwise, the message goes to the people that the party is not united and they don't trust it.

"Those who are sitting on posts, it is their responsibility to take everyone along and if they are unable to do so, even then it is their responsibility," she said.

When asked if State unit chief Udai Bhan is lacking in his duty to keep the state unit united, Choudhary quipped, "We are not called (invited for state unit events)".

"Rahul Gandhi is our leader and for him all of us have to work. We don't have to wait for anyone to call us. I have assigned duties to workers (for the Yatra)," Choudhary added.

The Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra is set to re-enter Haryana in its second phase from Panipat on January 5. She indicated that the Hooda camp was not consulting her for the event.

Asked if there is infighting in Haryana Congress unit, she said, "There is no infighting from our side, but those who are occupying posts if they call us with respect and consult us because as we are also senior people having experience, it will only benefit the party".

Replying to a question if she will keep the issue before Rahul Gandhi regarding what is going on in Haryana unit of Congress, she said, "it is our internal matter, I am not going to discuss it here (in the media)".

Choudhary, meanwhile, hit out at "some mischievous people" for spreading rumours that she was trying to switch her loyalties to another party.

"Those who are scared of me and those who think...I am a trouble for them and those who want to get rid of me...they spread such things," she said.

Earlier in November, Choudhary had trained guns on the Hooda camp, saying those who think she can be limited to her home district Bhiwani are mistaken.

In October, she had flagged delay in finalising the party candidate's name for the Adampur bypoll. Ruling BJP candidate Bhavya Bishnoi, grandson of former chief minister late Bhajan Lal, won the seat defeating Congress candidate and former MP Jai Prakash.

Choudhary, daughter-in-law of former chief minister, the late Bansi Lal, had then taken a dig, apparently at Hooda, saying "one person was taking all the decisions".

She had stayed away from campaigning in Adampur.

In April, the Congress had revamped its Haryana unit, appointing former legislator and Hooda loyalist Udai Bhan as the chief of its state unit. He replaced Kumari Selja, another senior leader considered the ex-chief minister's bete noire.

In June, following the defeat of party nominee Ajay Maken in the Rajya Sabha polls, a section of the Congress state unit had indirectly blamed Choudhary over a ballot paper that was rejected as it was "wrongly filled".

Bhiwani is Choudhary's home district and she is the MLA from Tosham.