Congress rebuffs claim that 100 party leaders have written to Sonia Gandhi over leadership change

Suspended Congress leader Sanjay Jha on Monday triggered a row by claiming that around 100 leaders had written to party president Sonia Gandhi seeking a change of political leadership, a claim the grand old party rushed to deny.

Jha, who was first sacked as spokesperson and later suspended from the party, took to Twitter on Monday to claim that a hundred leaders had petitioned Sonia Gandhi over the state of affairs in the Congress. AICC chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, however, trashed Jha’s remarks saying it was a BJP-motivated move aimed at deflecting attention from the Facebook issue.

The Congress is demanding a joint parliamentary committee probe against Facebook, accusing the social media platform of hate mongering and playing into the BJP’s hands. Jha earlier tweeted, It is estimated that around 100 Congress leaders (including MPs), distressed at the state of affairs within the party, have written a letter to Mrs Sonia Gandhi, Congress President, asking for change in political leadership and transparent elections in CWC. Watch this space.

Soon after Jha’s claim about dissenting voices, Surjewala tweeted, “TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: ‘Special Misinformation Group on Media-TV Debate Guidance’ in its whatsapp of today directed to run the story of a non-existent letter of Congress leaders to divert attention from Facebook-BJP links. Of course, BJP stooges have started acting upon it.”

According to recent a news report published in leading US daily Wall Street Journal, Facebook deliberately failed to act against BJP leaders who had violated its policies on hate speech. Jha was suspended from the party last month apparently for his criticism of its internal affairs.