Gandhis have earned stature through sacrifices, BJP has marginalised its senior leadership: Sunil Jakhar

Defending the party's decision to appoint Sonia Gandhi as the party's interim president, Congress leader Sunil Jakhar on Sunday said the stature Gandhi has within the party is earned through sacrifices made by generations of Gandhi family and the BJP has no moral right to question Congress decision as the ruling party has marginalised its whole senior leadership.

"This position is not asked for nor is given in charity. This position and stature are earned by the Gandhi family through sacrifices made by them for the people and the country," said Jakhar while talking to ANI here on Sunday.

"Be it the sacrifice made by Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi who had no hesitation in eating food at the house of poor Kalavati. What Rahul Gandhi did, that forced BJP leader Amit Shah to eat food with poor though he had taken his own plate and cup," added Jakhar.

"The legacy of the Gandhi family is written with blood," said Jakhar.

"The opposition is saying that Congress president is always from one family, but I will say the BJP has marginalised its own senior leadership including Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and late Sushma Swaraj Ji," he said.

"The stature of Gandhis came from sacrifices. BJP and RSS will never understand what the sacrifice is as they have no role in India's independence neither they have made any sacrifices for the country," added Punjab Congress unit chief.

Jakhar said that under the incumbent government both the Constitution and democracy are in danger and Sonia Gandhi has the ability to provide strong leadership in such 'difficult' times.

"The Constitution is in danger. Democracy is being destroyed and secularism is at stake. In such times the Congress needs the strong leadership and guidance of Sonia Gandhi. Earlier also she had revived the Congress party," he said.

He said that revocation of Article 370 was unconstitutional and the BJP led government can do with other states what it did with Jammu and Kashmir.

"Revocation of Article 370 was in their manifesto, but the Constitution was not followed while doing this. The message is clear that what they did with Jammu and Kashmir, they can do with other states as well," said Jakhar.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday chose Sonia Gandhi as "interim president" of the party, nearly two-and-a-half months after her son Rahul Gandhi resigned as the party chief taking the moral responsibility for the party's debacle in the Lok Sabha elections.

-ANI