New Delhi, Aug 19: The Congress on Wednesday officially commented on Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's remark that she had no objection to a non-Gandhi becoming the party president. The party said it was a year old remark.

"We at INC India appreciate the sudden media interest (egged on by BJP) in a year old remark (dated July 1, 2019) of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra," Randeep Singh Surjewala, chief spokesperson of Congress, said in a statement.

He said the Nehru-Gandhi family has held together and served the Congress unmindful of the trappings of power. 'Non-Gandhi' Can Be Congress Chief, But Gandhi Family Must Remain Active in Party, Says Mani Shankar Aiyar.

"In 2004, Soniaji set an example by sacrificing power to serve the party, and in 2019, Rahulji showed the courage of conviction and stepped down as the Congress president," added Surjewala.

The party insisted that the context today is to take on the vicious attack on India's polity by the Modi-Shah dispensation and fight it fearlessly on the front foot.

"Millions of Congress workers and leaders have seen that Rahul Gandhi has led the fight tirelessly, undaunted by the setbacks and vile attacks by the Modi government on a daily basis.

"It is this fearlessness and uncompromising courage that the Congress requires, which the workers respect and the nation needs," said the statement.

The Congress' comments came in the wake of a claim made in a book -- 'India Tomorrow: Conversations with the Next Generation of Political Leaders' -- written by Pradeep Chibber and Harsh Shah.

In the book, it has been claimed that Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi was ready to work under a non-Gandhi president after Rahul Gandhi's resignation following the defeat in the general elections in 2019.

Rahul Gandhi had also said that the party should elect a president from outside the family, but in August last year, Sonia Gandhi was appointed as the interim president of the Congress.

Priyanka Gandhi, in the book, was quoted as saying: "If there were to be another party president, he would be my boss. If he tells me tomorrow that he doesn't want me in Uttar Pradesh but wants me to be in Andaman and Nicobar (Islands), then I would jolly well go to Andaman and Nicobar."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 19, 2020 04:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).