New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS): The Congress has launched a counter attack against the senior leaders who have made statements about the party in public.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, "The nominated senior leaders have access to the party leadership and should refrain from speaking publicly.

Khera pointed out that Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is pushing for CWC elections, is a CWC nominated member who can just pick the phone and call anybody instead of making public statements.

Maintaining that every party has an internal system to discuss each issue, including the Bihar election results, Khera said, "I hope the senior leaders will put forward the best example.

Azad, who is one of the dissenters who had questioned the party leadership and functioning, has demanded that the party should hold elections to strengthen the organisation and make it more responsible.

Dismissing allegations of rebellion levelled against the dissenters, Azad, the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said, "We are reformists and want revival of the party."

Azad, the second senior Congress leader after former Union minister Kapil Sibal to speak about the party's dismal show in the Bihar Assembly polls, said that the Congress should shed the five-star culture, at least during elections, and insisted that the leaders should reach out to the people.

Azad also insisted that elections should be held at different levels of the party so that people become responsible and work for the party.

Azad also said that there is no issues with the first family in the Congress and gave a clean chit to interim party chief Sonia Gandhi and former President Rahul Gandhi.

He also noted that the party should be more active at the ground level during elections, a statement that has been perceived as a direct criticism of the leaders involved in the Bihar elections.

Sibal too had raised similar concerns. Contending that he was "compelled to speak publicly" as there is "no forum in the party to discuss party issues", he said the Congress needs efficient and senior leaders to manage elections.