Press Trust of India
New Delhi / Bangalore, May 9: Veerappa Moily, who launched a surprise attack on JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, has been abruptly removed as chairman of the Congress media department.
He has been replaced by AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi, who had been holding the charge earlier, party sources said on Saturday.
The removal of Moily is believed to be due to the displeasure of the party high command over his remarks against the Bihar chief minister, who was sought to be wooed by party leader Rahul Gandhi.
Moily had on Friday said that Congress is not going to 'make a hero' of Nitish Kumar.
"I do not think Congress is going to make a hero of Nitish Kumar, the manner in which he has aligned with BJP and is carrying on...That kind of pollution of his secular credentials with the communal," Moily had said.
When asked about the Congress decision to relieve him of his charge as AICC media head, Moily, who is in Bangalore, merely said that he had given the charge to Dwivedi as he would be away in Karnataka till May 17.
Moily is contesting elections from Chikkballapur in Karnataka.
Moily plays down reports
Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily sought to down play reports of his removal as head of the AICC media cell, saying the charge being given to another leader was "an internal administrative arrangement" by the party.
"I have not received any letter to this effect (on his removal)" said Moily whose remarks against Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar are believed to have annoyed the party leadership, which is trying to woo the JD(U) leader.
The former Karnataka Chief Minister, who has contested the Chikballapur Lok Sabha seat, told PTI "I don't know what they will do after the polls". Moily initially said, "I have no reaction" but later added "it is an internal administrative arrangement by the Congress whenever a candidate goes for an election."
Terming media reports on his removal as "mischievous news planted by someone," he said the party order making AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi temporary in-charge was issued on March 31 "As I have been selected as a candidate from Chikkaballapur, somebody has to be in-charge of the media cell. Dwivedi was put in temporary in-charge", he said.