MUMBAI: Pressure is building up on Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi from within the party to step in and resolve the crisis over the Lokpal bill, in view of the nationwide response to Anna Hazare’s agitation.
“The response is unprecedented. It has caused massive damage to the party. It will have to pay a heavy price in the forthcoming polls in some states. In the last three days, many senior Congress leaders called on Rahul to press for his intervention. We expect him to step in soon,” a senior Congress minister in Maharashtra said on Monday.
On April 5, Hazare called off his fast following intervention by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. “Sonia Gandhi had written a letter to Hazare and assured him that a joint committee, including his nominees, will be set up. Now, since Sonia is away for medical treatment, Rahul should take the initiative and resolve the dispute,” he said.
Some senior Congress leaders also plan to seek President Pratibha Patil’s intervention. “We plan to meet her and we feel that she should appeal to Hazare to call off his agitation,” they said.