New Delhi, Apr 16 (Asian Age): After M.L. Fotedar, the Congress party ignored another “loyalist” H.R. Bhardwaj’s outburst against the party leadership and did not comment on Robert Vadra’s remarks, which have raised several questions in political circles. Mr Bhardwaj, the former Union minister and the governor, criticised the Congress leadership.

Both Mr Bhardwaj and Mr Fotedar were known as the Gandhi-Nehru family loyalists. Mr Fotedar is the permanent invitee to the CWC and the member of AICC’s election committee even after his critical observations about party vice president Rahul Gandhi in his book.

While Mr Fotedar could not become a member of Parliament during the ten-year UPA regime and was said to have rejected the offer of governorship, Mr Bhardwaj wanted to be relevant in the inner circle of the party.

Meanwhile Mr Vadra, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law, on Thursday had said he did not need his wife Priyanka Gandhi to “enhance” his life.

“I did not need Priyanka to enhance my life. I always had enough. My parents gave me enough. I think I was educated enough to understand that I can sustain no matter what comes my way. That is my strength really,” he had said in an interview.

On Friday, the Congress chose to ignore Mr Vadra’s remarks.

“I do not think any reaction is necessary,” party spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters when asked to comment on the remarks of party chief Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law.
He was asked what had triggered the sudden and surprising statement from Mr Vadra, who had often been defended by the AICC during controversies in which he was targeted by the BJP.

Meanwhile, the Congress made a strong pitch for the Jammu and Kashmir governor to keep a close watch on the situation in Kashmir which it said has turned “volatile”.
“Ever since the PDP-BJP govt has taken over, incidents are taking place which clearly demonstrate that the government is not in control of the situation,” Mr Tewari alleged.

He said that since Jammu and Kashmir is a frontline border state, it is imperative that the governor keeps a close watch on the situation.

“The reason we say this is that since it is the beginning of summer and the way situation is turning out already, it seems to be at least volatile if not anarchic,” he told reporters.

Expressing concern over the growing protests in the Valley, he said that keeping in view the totality of the situation, there should be caution and circumspection and a close watch on the situation.

He said suspension of Internet services, growing tensions in Handwara area and incidents of stone-pelting showed that the situation is “not that good”.