Congress leaders sit on indefinite strike, urge Rahul Gandhi to take back resignation

As Rahul Gandhi stays adamant on stepping down from the post of Congress president, several party leaders on Tuesday sat on an indefinite strike, urging him to take back his resignation.

Hundreds of Congress workers, most of who had resigned from various party posts on Friday, gathered at the party headquarters and sat on strike.

AICC Secretaries Mahender Joshi, Naseeb Singh and other leaders including Delhi Working President Rajesh Lilothia, Shobha Oza, Jagdish Tytler along with party activists sat on strike demanding Gandhi to continue as party chief.

Speaking to ANI, Lilothia said, "We have sat on an indefinite strike demanding Rahulji to continue as party chief."

He said that the responsibility of the Congress' drubbing in the recently concluded elections lies with all the party leaders and not on the party chief alone. He, however, stated that the party will obey the decision taken by Gandhi.

Shobha Oza said leaders were on strike as only the Gand could lead the Congress in the current situation.

The indefinite strike at the party office comes a day after all five Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled states met Gandhi and urged him to continue as the party President.

Rahul Gandhi had offered to step down as the party chief on May 25 during the Congress Working Committee meeting following the party's dismal performance in the Lok Sabha elections where it could manage to win only 52 seats.

However, his offer was rejected unanimously by the CWC members, the party's top decision-making body.

-ANI