Time to postpone decision making and sit back has gone: Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit slams high command

New Delhi [India], March 15 : Senior Congress leader and member of the G23 group, Sandeep Dikshit, on Tuesday in a veiled attack at the Congress high command said that the time to delay decision making and just ensure that they hold the reins of the party has gone.
"Constantly we say that time to postpone a decision, to sit back and think that till you are in control of Congress that's all you need to do-- I think that time has gone," said Dikshit amid discussions around who is responsible for Congress's humiliating defeat in recently conducted polls in five states.
Extending support to senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal over his recent comments seeking leadership change in the party, Dikshit said the amount of work Kapil Sibal has done for Congress is incredible.
"Kapil Sibal is not a field person. People say go in an election and then talk. That is not his job. He fought cases for congress, he fights for every political leader and I think the amount of service he has done to the party is tremendous," said Dikshit.
"What will probably happen now is that they (high-command) will dismiss him (from party for his remarks). Very cheap attempts were made (earlier when he made similar remarks). Some people were sent to throw stones at his home last time. I ask whether this is the way you treat people who do so much for the party. It is pathetic," he said.
Demanding a serious discussion and reforms in the party and not limiting itself to one meet of Congress Working Committee post debacle in polls, Dikshit said, "I don't think CWC meeting was sufficient, I don't it was even meant to be sufficient, it was more of a letting off the steam kind of meeting."
"I have only one hope that subsequent to this defeat, people will actually realise that this defeat is something that tells us in our face that we are not doing things correctly and we need to do lot of work regarding our leaders, campaigning and synchronising our state government. We actually need to work out new strategies," he said.
Raising an issue about meetings under the name of 'Chintan shivir,' Congress leader said "nobody will speak their minds out in a larger group. Nobody dares to speak truth to people whom they themselves fear because many of them are part of the problem."
Terming the defeat in Punjab a result of 'internal conflict', Congress leader said that Aam Aadmi Party redrew its strategy after the infighting began in Congress.
"From freebies they changed their strategy and started promising stable government after what happened in Congress," Dikshit said.
"Problem with the Congress is that they knew this is happening and what needed to be done but nothing happened. State leadership and people managing elections are completely ineffective," he said.
He seeks reforms in the party and letting go of 'deadwood.' He said "In the past our leadership has shown the way by winning impossible elections. We need to make our organisation attractive again, rope in new talent and let go of deadwood."
"By deadwood I don't mean aged people. I mean people whose only job is to get there because they are close to somebody or for their own selfish reasons. Get good people who work for the organisation and think for both the country and party before thinking about themselves," he added.