Political leaders should quit active posts at 70 years: Janardan Dwivedi

Stoking a fresh controversy, Senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi today said people in politics should not continue in active posts beyond 70 years of age. Dwivedi, who will be 69 next month and feels marginalised in the party, told reporters that 65 or 70 should be the age for people to go out of active posts and take up other roles instead. He, however, hastened to add that posts like that of Presidents of political parties, President of India, Vice President and Prime Minister may be treated as exceptions.

Dwivedi, who had earlier made some controversial comments like economic criteria based reservation and Priyanka Gandhi's interest in politics, gave this answer when asked whether the age ceiling would also reply to Congress President Sonia Gandhi. The remarks of Dwivedi, who is the General Secretary in charge of the Organisation, are signficant as they come days after BJP dropped veterans Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi from the Parliamentary Board and named them in Margdarshak Mandal, mentor's group.

They have come at a time when there is intense speculation about imminent changes in the AICC setup with the younger generation likely to call the shots and leaders of Dwivedi's generation may be replaced. The Congress leader, who will soon turn 69, had earlier made certain comments which were interpreted as critical of the younger leadership. Citing examples of various other fields where elders handover the responsibility to a young team, Dwivedi said "similarly generational change is also necessary in politics. After certain age, people should not live on active posts in a political organisation".