'Can't raise anti-Sanatan slogans': Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh resigns
Professor Gourav Vallabh, a well-known spokesperson for the Congress, has officially quit the party, citing the "directionless path the...party is currently taking." Vallabh is known for his regular appearances on television debates discussing finance and economy-related topics on behalf of the party. He submitted his resignation letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday.
Vallabh cites reasons for resignation
In his resignation letter, Vallabh cited issues such as the caste census as reasons for his departure. He also expressed his discomfort with chanting "anti-Sanatana" slogans. He wrote that on the one hand, the party talks about caste census, while on the other, it appears that it is entirely opposed to Hindu society. This, he said, is sending the wrong message that the party is biased toward a specific community.
Cannot raise anti-Sanatana slogans: Vallabh
"That is why I am resigning from all posts and primary membership of the Congress party," Vallabh wrote. "I joined the Congress with an aim to use my knowledge in finance, for the welfare of the country. Yes, we are not in power today, but we could have presented our manifesto, and our policies, in a better way. However, this was done at any level of the party," he further explained.
Vallabh's political journey
Vallabh contested elections for the first time in 2019 from Jamshedpur East, Jharkhand. He received more than 18,000 votes and finished third, trailing then-CM Raghubar Das and Saryu Roy. He ran in the 2023 Rajasthan assembly election from the Udaipur constituency. However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate won easily with a margin of more than 32,000 votes. Vallabh's resignation comes after boxer Vijender Singh defected to the BJP.
Check out his resignation letter here
Who is Vallabh
Vallabh is a professor at the Xavier School of Management in Jamshedpur. He joined the Congress in 2017 and was soon appointed as a media panelist by the party's then-communications chief, Randeep Singh Surjewala. He then began representing the party in TV debates and news conferences. He rose to prominence after confronting BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra during a TV debate about the state of the Indian economy, asking him how many zeros there are in 5 trillion.
