New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) Congress leader Udit Raj on Monday pointed to a stark contrast between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the grand old party over leaders airing their grievances and expressing dissent against their own leadership.

Udit Raj, speaking to IANS, said: “There are many veteran BJP leaders including the founding members like LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and more who don’t publicly speak against the party. They don’t utter a word even after being put on the sidelines. But, in Congress party, many leaders get restless and start speaking out of turn, when the party goes out of power.”

“Those who became ministers in Congress governments for ten years start speaking against the party. They were not even the founding members, this is very startling,” he said.

He also said that party high command is of the same view that those leaders couldn’t win booths in elections hold big positions in the party.

His remarks are seen as a clear swipe at Salman Khurshid, who served as External Affairs Minister in the Congress-led UPA government.

Earlier in the day, Khurshid, part of all-party delegation responded to wave of criticism back home and said that it was distressing to see that “people back home are calculating political allegiances”, a remark apparently directed at his critics within the Congress party.

Khurshid’s recent endorsement of Article 370 abrogation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led govt and its positive impact on bringing prosperity in the region earned him the BJP’s praise and Congress’ ‘silent’ scorn.

The Congress was always opposed to the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, however, lately it has maintained its ambivalent stance on the matter.

Udit Raj, however, also objected to the projection and portrayal of dissent within the Congress party as sign of growing factionalism or feud and cited the example of dissenters and detractors within the BJP who openly speak against the party and still it is not seen as ‘fight or revolt’ within.

“Subramanian Swamy has stated on record that five Indian fighter jets have been shot down by Pakistani Army. Why the BJP is silent on the issue? Why it is not seen as rift within?” he asked.

–IANS

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