Delhi, Jun 8 (IANS): Even as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is trying to corner the Central government on issues related to policies and actions during the COVID-19 pandemic, party spokesperson Sanjay Jha has raised questions over the internal functioning of the party. However, other party leaders were quick to contradict his views.

The Congress spokesperson said the claim that the Congress has an internal robust mechanism was "not correct" and "it doesn't listen to its members".

Sanjay Jha pushed his view through a newspaper article, but was promptly contradicted by the party. Contradicting Jha, Senior spokesperson Ajay Maken said, "There is no dearth of internal discussion in the party and I have been able to put forth my view whenever i wanted to."

Another party leader and a CWC member said, "Party had discussions many times with the pcc chiefs and chief ministers and a group was constituted under Manmohan Singh to oversee the pandemic and the party highest decision making body, the congress working committee deliberated on issues."

In the article, Jha also said the party could not present an alternative narrative of governance to the people when the government has failed. But the party rejected the charge and said that the former party president Rahul Gandhi did present alternative and suggested many measures and the party interim president Sonia Gandhi also wrote many letters. It was Sonia Gandhi's intervention of facilitating migrants to send them home and the party's frontal organisations were prompt in providing help to people in distress, the party said.

Jha said that the party was reacting to the issues, but not in a comprehensive manner.

His view was endorsed by Pankaj Shankar, a former aide of Rahul Gandhi, who tweeted "It is a false claim that there exists a robust internal democratic process in the @INCIndia that listens to individual voices, and is continuously focused on party renewal writes @JhaSanjay."

Earlier also many party leaders, including Sandeep Dikshit and Shashi Tharoor raised questions on the change of leadership and advocated for full-time president. Sandeep Dikshit had said that the party needs a full time president and a mechanism to exchange views inside the party.