Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh Sunday came out in support of Gandhis as he opposed the bid by some congress leaders challenging the gndhi family leadership of the party, saying this was not the time to raise such an issue, given the need for a strong opposition against the bjp-led NDA that was out to destroy the country’s Constitutional ethos and democratic principles.

the veteran Congress leader said in a statement given to Chandigarh on Sunday

the NDA’s success was attributable to the absence of a strong and united Opposition, and the move by these Congress leaders to demand a rehaul of the party at this critical juncture would be detrimental to its interests, and the interests of the nation. India is currently facing not just external dangers from across the border but also internal threats to its federal structure, he said, adding that a unified Congress alone could protect the country and its people.

 Captain Amarinder is of the view that the Gandhis have contributed immensely to the country’s progress since independence. Congress needs to accept the leadership not by some but the entire party through its rank and file, and the nation at large, he said, adding that the Gandhis were the right fit for this role. He supported Sonia Gandhi in her wish to help the Congress as long as she wanted and that Rahul Gandhi should thereafter take over as he was fully competent to lead the party.

The Chief Minister said that in each and every village in India there is a Congress member to carry forward its ideology of upholding the Constitutional principles, rights and freedoms. And he gives this credit to the Gandhis, and their selfless commitment, dedication and unimaginable sacrifices. He cited BJP and its Sanghi ambitions to divide the country  on the lines of caste and religion.

He considers the Gandhi family to be the universally recognisable face of the congress, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari,  the Chief Minister stressed, pointing out that of the five generations that had served the country since the pre-Independence times, beginning with Moti Lal Nehru and Independent India’s first Prime Minister, two (India Gandhi and rajiv gandhi) had sacrificed their lives for the nation.

He said that the very bedrock of India’s Constitutional strength was under threat, and that it was important for every one in the Congress to support the Gandhis, who had held the party together all these decades and could continue to do so.