Expelled Odisha Cong leader’s letter to Sonia Gandhi drafted with BJP mindset: OPCC chief

Bhubaneswar, Dec 17 (PTI) Expelled Odisha Congress leader Mohammed Moquim’s recent letter to Sonia Gandhi, expressing apprehension over the top leadership, appears to have been drafted with a “BJP mindset”, OPCC president Bhakta Charan Das asserted.

Moquim, a former MLA, was expelled on Monday after he raised questions about the leadership of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the age of party president Mallikarjun Kharge, in the letter. “It (the letter to former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi) appears to bear a BJP mindset. The issues raised by him are the pet subjects of the BJP,” Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das told PTI on Tuesday evening.

Das said the letter was made public on December 14 when the AICC was holding a mega rally in Delhi.

“Note the timing and content of the five-page letter. It was publicised through the national media more than the local media. There are sufficient reasons to suspect that it was drafted keeping in view the BJP’s interests,” he said.

Questioning the intent of the former Barabati-Cuttack MLA’s letter, Das said that if one claims to bring reforms in the party, the person will wait for the response to a communication.

“Giving a letter to Sonia ji is acceptable, but releasing it to the press is not. This clearly indicates that he does not want to stay in the Congress,” Das said.

The OPCC chief said the party had accorded due recognition to Moquim, despite being a one-time MLA.

“His conduct indicated a lack of commitment to the Congress. How can you be in the party and at the same time challenge its senior leaders?” Das said.

Das also said Moquim was a part of the Political Affairs Committee (PAC) of the OPCC, as he hails from a minority community. “Moquim could have approached the PAC, but he did not draw its attention.” On the former legislator questioning the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, Das said, “What does Moquim know about him? He walked across the country and brought about an awakening in the minds of people. Will he now guide the likes of Rahul Gandhi by writing a letter?” In his letter, Moquim also sought a “central, visible and active leadership role” for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the party’s affairs instead of Rahul Gandhi.

“I have no regret for being expelled from the party. I have tried to show the mirror to the Congress. They can expel me, but cannot distance me from the Congress ideology, which I follow in letter and spirit,” Moquim had said. PTI AAM RBT