Cong members to wear khadi, avoid alcohol

NEW DELHI: Amidst a controversy over whether there should be changes in the pre-requisites for aspiring Congress members like wearing khadi and abstaining from alcohol, the party on Saturday maintained that these would continue to be among the criteria for admission.
  
The AICC session here on Saturday cleared some amendments pertaining to membership of the party, but stressed that the conditions, including wearing certified khadi, abstaining from alcohol and pledging to do manual labour if required, would remain.
  
This comes amidst the controversy over the pre-requisites following the new AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi reportedly challenging their relevance in the changed times.
  
To get membership of the Congress, a person has to be a habitual wearer of certified Khadi, abstaining from alcoholic drinks and intoxicant drugs and should not be believing in or practising untouchability.
  
Any aspiring Congress member should also not own property in excess of the ceiling laws and subscribe to and work for promoting the principles of secularismm, socialism and democracy. He or she should also subscribe to the periodicals approved by the AICC.
  
A Congress General Secretary said the proposal to do away with the criteria had been made more than two decades back also, but it had come under severe opposition.
  
"Even a crook would want to have a clean leader. Congress members are potential leaders and they should have an image that adheres to the ideals of the party," he said.