Kumari Selja slams Sonam Wangchuk's wife, asks why target Congress and not Narendra Modi government?

New Delhi: Congress general secretary Kumari Selja on Friday questioned activist Sonam Wangchuk's wife, Gitanjalai J Angmo, a day after the latter had said that the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress demonstration near the Prime Minister's residence against paper leaks "lacked sincerity" and that the principal Opposition should have instead joined the CJP protest at Jantar Mantar.

Selja asked why Angmo chose to target Gandhi and Congress rather than the government. "Why are they training their guns on Rahul Gandhi and Congress instead of attacking the Modi government? What does it smack of? In any case, Sonam Wangchuk has already ended his hunger strike after discussions with the government's representatives," Selja told ET when asked about Angmo's comments in a TV interview about the Congress demonstration.

Selja, a member of Congress Working Committee, also questioned the logic of Angmo stating that the Congress leaders should have protested at Jantar Mantar instead of outside the PM's residence. "Why so? Indian democracy offers the right and space for everyone to dissent and protest, by choosing their own respective space and methods. Congress party has been fighting for safeguarding this democratic right as much as we are now fighting against the Modi government over the series of paper leaks and in support of the agitating students," she said.


She further said, "We respect others' protests on the issue. Why should some people, who are also conducting their own protests, now feel so offended by Congress protest? I can understand why the Modi government and BJP are feeling uneasy about Congress protest, but why should some among the protestors feel the same way? By the way, some of our party colleagues had earlier visited Jantar Mantar."

Selja also stressed on Rahul Gandhi's role in the protest. "Everybody knows Rahulji has been at the forefront of fighting the government over paper leaks and taking up the students' causes by conducting 'Chhatron ki Goonj' rallies. The NSUI (Congress' student wing) activists are agitating against paper leaks across the nation. We are not going to stop our fight just because some others are feeling uneasy about it," she said.

Angmo's comments followed Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP's criticism of Congress protest near the PM's residence.