Panaji (Goa): Congress’ former Member of Parliament John Fernandes on Tuesday opined that it’s high time that ailing party national president Sonia Gandhi step down from the responsibility thereby appointing her son Rahul as party chief.

Speaking to media persons, Fernandes said that Sonia Gandhi, under whose leadership the party has been facing poll debacle, is helping Prime Minister Narendra Modi in achieving its mission of ‘Congress-mukt bharat’.

“If Sonia Gandhi is sick, then she should not make Congress fall sick…should also not help Narendra Modi to make Congress-mukt bharat. It’s high time that she should hand over the leadership responsibility to Rahul Gandhi,” Fernandes, former state president said.

Fernandes further slammed the Congress high command for not holding a session of the All India Congress Committee for three years, after the defeat in the 2014 general elections, which he said would only harm the party.

“Congress should not be sick. Congress can bounce back, if there are workers like me and we work together. Congress will come back because people want the Congress. And the Goa election is an indicator,” he said.

However, the Congress senior leader’s this statement has not gone well with the Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC), who has taken serious note of it. “We have taken serious note of his statements. We will review the same during the forthcoming state executive meeting,” GPCC chief spokesperson Sunil Kawthankar said.

“A person who is not a qualified active doctor, should not comment on someone’s health,” he said referring to Fernandes comment on Sonia Gandhi being sick.

Fernandes was appointed state president in 2013 soon after the Congress was routed in the 2012 state assembly elections. He was then replaced by Luizinho Faleiro in 2014.

Team TNV