Blow to Congress as Jaiveer Shergill resigns with 'sycophancy' jab
In yet another rebellion, National Spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill resigned from the Indian National Congress (INC) on Wednesday. The leader wrote a strongly-worded letter to chief Sonia Gandhi and said that decision-making is now influenced by "self-interests". As per reports, he was not allowed to hold press conferences in the last few months. Here's more about the development.
Why does this story matter?
Congress has been witnessing internal churning for months, with many senior leaders leaving key posts or resigning altogether. Last week, senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma resigned from key posts in poll-bound states of J&K and Himachal Pradesh. Shergill's resignation comes only months after senior leaders Kapil Sibal and Sunil Jakhar resigned from the party.
'Ideology no longer in sync with India'
In his resignation letter, Shergill said, "It pains me to say that deciison-making is no longer for interests of public." The party is being influenced by self-serving interestis of individuals who indulge in 'sycophany" and continuously ignore the on-ground reality, he added. He stressed that the ideology and the vision of INC is no longer "in-sync" with with aspirations of modern India.
'I have resigned from all posts'
"Have been seeking more time from Gandhis but…"
Shergill's letter is being interpreted as a jibe at Gandhis. After submitting the letter, he told reporters that the Gandhis denied him any meetings in the last year. "I have been seeking more time from Rahul, Sonia, and Priyanka but we are not welcome in the office," he said, according to NDTV. The 39-year-old lawyer was one of the youngest spokespersons of the Congress.
Party to elect new president in September
Shergill's resignation comes only a week after senior leaders Azad and Sharma resigned from key posts. While Azad resigned as the campaign manager in J&K unit, Sharma resigned as the chief strategist in Himachal Pradesh. Amid internal rumblings, the INC is all set to chose a new party president next month.
