UPDATE: 4:25 p.m. IST -- Sudhir Joshi, content editor of the Maharashtra-based publication "Congress Darshan," has been sacked, according to the Press Trust of India, after the journal's Hindi-language version published an article critical of Jawaharlal Nehru and current party president Sonia Gandhi.
Original story:
"Congress Darshan", the Congress' Hindi-language magazine published in Maharashtra, recently embarrassed the party by publishing an article criticising the first Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and current party president Sonia Gandhi.
The article blamed Nehru for the current conditions in China, Nepal and Tibet. It also took a shot at party president Sonia Gandhi, saying her father was a Fascism supporter.
The article, published on the death anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, which was on 15 December, is ill-timed as it came before the 131st foundation day of the Congress, which is being celebrated on 28 December.
"Had Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel been heard then (by Nehru), the problems of Kashmir, China, Tibet and Nepal wouldn't have existed now. Patel opposed Nehru's move of taking the Kashmir issue to the UNO," the article said, adding: "Nehru did not agree with Patel's views on Nepal."
The article also rakes up the famous rivalry between Patel and Nehru, stating that both had, on several occasions, threatened to quit.
It quotes a 1950s letter written by Patel saying China was "unfaithful and a future enemy of India", reports DNA.
The president of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee Sanjay Nirupam absolved himself from the responsibility of publishing the article, which was published without the reporter's name, saying that he was not responsible for daily operations, reported Mid-Day.
Apologising for the article, he also said action would be taken against the editorial team.
"Some words used in some articles of 'Congress Darshan' are certainly objectionable. I accept the mistake. Action will be taken against people in editorial team who are responsible for this mistake," DNA quoted Sanjay Nirupam as saying.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh was quoted as saying by ANI that "it is a good sign that the Congress is reconciling with historical facts related to Jammu and Kashmir, China and Tibet".
ANI, however, quoted Nationalist Congress Party leader Majeed Memon as criticising the article: "Sonia has had her own experiences of success and turmoil in the last 20-25 years after Rajiv Gandhi and her mother-in-law's assassination. She has also successfully run the Manmohan government for about 10 years. These things which are being spoken of are almost two decades old. It's a matter of history. It need not be raked up again without any justification. I am only wondering as to how Congress' own mouthpiece could just dig up these all ancient maters."
The Congress foundation day celebrated on Monday missed party vice-president Rahul Gandhi at the event, which was heavily attended by senior party MPs, MLAs, invited guests and party workers amid tight security at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in New Delhi, reports Zee News.
