Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jun 2: Congress leader Udit Raj on Monday highlighted what he described as a glaring contrast between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and his own party when it comes to leaders expressing dissent against the leadership.

Speaking to IANS, Udit Raj observed that even senior BJP leaders, including party stalwarts like L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, have largely refrained from publicly criticizing the party, despite being sidelined in recent years.

“There are many veteran BJP leaders, including founding members, who don’t publicly speak against the party. They remain silent even when pushed aside. But in the Congress, many leaders start speaking out of turn when the party is out of power,” he said.

Udit Raj also took aim at those who held significant posts in the previous Congress-led UPA governments, suggesting that despite their ministerial experience, they now openly question the party’s direction.

“These leaders, who couldn’t even win booths in elections, now hold big positions in the party,” he added, in a comment seemingly directed at senior leader Salman Khurshid.

Khurshid, who served as External Affairs Minister in the UPA government, had earlier in the day responded to criticism back home, calling it “distressing” that “people back home are calculating political allegiances.” His remarks came after he praised the BJP-led government’s abrogation of Article 370, calling it a positive step for the prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir—a position at odds with the Congress party’s longstanding stance on the issue.

Udit Raj’s remarks come amid heightened scrutiny within the Congress party, which has often been accused of lacking a cohesive internal discipline. However, Raj also pushed back against the portrayal of dissent within Congress as a sign of factionalism, pointing to similar instances in the BJP that he argued go largely unnoticed.

“Subramanian Swamy has openly claimed that five Indian fighter jets have been shot down by Pakistan. Why is the BJP silent on this issue? Why isn’t that seen as a rift within?” he questioned.

Udit Raj’s comments add fuel to the ongoing debate about internal democracy and dissent management within India’s major political parties, particularly as the Congress seeks to regain its footing after successive electoral setbacks.