The adamant stand taken by Rahul Gandhi that he will not withdraw his resignation as Congress president has put the Grand Old Party in another crisis with leaders and hundreds of officer bearers across the country resigning from their post in solidarity with him.
According to party sources, more than 140 office bearers from AICC, PCC, Youth Congress, Mahila Congress, Seva Dal and departmental heads have resigned and announced that they will not take back the resignation till Gandhi changed his mind.
After party’s legal, human rights and RTI head Vivek Tankha resigned on Thursday, AICC general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh Deepak Babaria also resigned on Friday.
“Why should only Rahul Gandhi resign, we should also take the responsibility for the loss of Lok Sabha polls,” Babaria told reporters.
In a tweet, Tankha said the “party cannot afford a stalemate for too long” and that he was quitting. “We all should submit our resignations from party positions and give Rahul-ji a free hand to choose his team. I welcome Kamal Nath’s statement to that effect. I unequivocally submit my resignation as AICC department chairman Law, RTI and HR,” he tweeted.
“Rahul-ji please make drastic changes to revive the party as a fighting force. You have the commitment and determination. Just cobble a good, acceptable and influential nation-wide team. I am with you in all situations,” Tankha added.
Sumitra Chouhan, president of Mahila Congress of Haryana unit, also has resigned from her post and said she would not accept any party position, till Gandhi withdrew his resignation. Party’s Delhi unit working president Rajesh Lilothia, Telangana Congress working president Poonam Prabhakar also had resigned.
AICC secretaries Virender Rathore, Anil Choudhury, Rajesh Dharmani and party’s foreign cell secretary Virender Vashist too followed and offered their resignations.
Meanwhile Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit on Friday dissolved all 280 block Congress committees with immediate effect, after a meeting with Mr Gandhi to analyse the situation along with other leaders.
Earlier, the Congress dissolved its Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka units to prepare for a revamp of party in the light of disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha polls.
Youth Congress and NSUI workers from different states held a protest march and sit-in front of Gandhi’s official residence demanding that he should take back his resignation and lead the party.
It is learned that Gandhi’s statement in a meeting with Haryana Congress leaders on Thursday triggered the massive resignation from different quarters.
He has categorically refused to withdraw his decision from stepping down and reportedly said that his resignation is to ensure accountability for the defeat. “I cannot ask others to follow the same, it is up to them whether they have to take responsibility”, Gandhi had reportedly said, which had embarrassed a section of party leaders that none offered their resignation after taking responsibility for the defeat. (UNI)
