An apparently embarrassed Congress, meanwhile, sought to explain Digvijaya Singh's remarks as being due to the "churning" within the party following its Lok Sabha poll debacle. On the other hand, one senior leader totally rejected Digvijaya Singh's contention that Rahul Gandhi does not have the temperament of a ruler.

"Digvijaya Singh has already clarified his statement. The fact is that Congress has not performed very well in the election. There are different voices which are emanating from different parts of the country. Senior leaders are speaking. There is a process of churning which is going on.

"I think all this will be factored into the churning and wherever correctives have to be applied either collectively or individually, those correctives will be applied. So I do not think that there is really reason to read very much into a particular statement or statements, whichever have emanated from the leaders," said former Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari.