'Those afraid within the party, run to RSS; we don't need you': Rahul Gandhi's message to dissidents

The message from the former Congress chief to the dissidents came during a pep talk with the party's social media team.

In the widely accessed video, Gandhi could be heard saying: "There are many people who are fearless and they are outside the Congress. We need to bring them in."

In a hard-hitting message to the dissidents, the Congress MP said: "And those who feel afraid within the party should be shown the door. They should run towards the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) . We don't want you. We don't need you."

He added that: "We need fearless people in our party. That's our ideology. This is my message."

The Congress leaders' message was seen as a target to his once close aides  like Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada, who have now joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Scindia, who resigned as the Congress leader amid his differences with the party's top brass and joined the BJP last year, took oath as a cabinet minister in the Narendra Modi government on July 7.

Prasada, who was close to Rahul Gandhi, too joined the BJP in June. He  is likely to be a significant part of the BJP's plans for Uttar Pradesh, where elections will take place next year.

Besides, there are other dissenters too in the party known as the G-23 or group of 23 who had written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi seeking a full-time and visible leadership following a series of poll defeats.