Congress downplays Khare's 'statusquoist' remark

New Delhi, Sep 21 (ANI): Congress Party on Tuesday downplayed the comments made by Harish Khare, media advisor to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, where he termed the party as 'statusquoist', which does not believe in any conviction.

"We believe that he has already clarified his statement and we have nothing more to say," said Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi.

It was earlier reported that Khare would make a statement on the issue today.

Khare had on Monday openly criticized the Congress termed it as 'statusquoist' party, which does not believe in any conviction.

The former journalist named three Congress leaders Indira Gandhi, Madhavsinh Solanki and Digvijay Singh, who were defeated by their own party.

"Its only conviction is to win elections. That is its only conviction. In the process of winning elections and consolidating gains, the Congress forgot the country's citizens. There was only engagement with the voters, no participation in the rights of citizenship," said Khare, during a discussion on Monday after Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh released JNU professor Sudha Pai's book, Developmental State and the Dalit Question in Madhya Pradesh: Congress Response at Delhi's Nehru Memorial Museum and Library.

Talking about Digvijay Singh, Khare said: Digvijay's attempt at practising "good politics" was checkmated by senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Arjun Singh.

"Poor man, he was caught in the conflicting deals made by mentor Arjun Singh who was fighting the Prime Minister in Delhi and that process continued unabated. Digvijay's Bhopal Declaration- a document that enshrined his government's commitment to giving Dalits right over land and other economic resources - had 'very little traction' in Madhya Pradesh," he added. (ANI)