Congress suffered another setback in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday after senior leader and former All India Congress Committee (AICC) member Ashok Singh resigned from the party, alleging that experienced workers were being sidelined while recent entrants were being given key organisational responsibilities.
The 35-year Congress veteran claimed that the party’s long-serving cadre was being overlooked and alleged that Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was not getting the correct picture of the organisation. His resignation follows a show-cause notice issued against him over alleged anti-party activities.
Ashok Singh says veteran Congress workers have been ignored
Speaking to ANI after stepping down, Singh questioned the party’s internal decisions and said workers who had spent decades building the organisation were no longer being valued.
“I had been working with the UP Congress Committee for 35 years. The question arises: where are the original Congress members today? Appointing people who joined just 1-2 years ago to positions while ignoring long-standing Congress members–what kind of decision is this? Original Congress members are being taken for a ride, and I can say with certainty that Rahul Gandhi is being deceived. Responsibilities are being handed to those who joined the party only recently; what, then, is the veteran, original Congress member supposed to do?” Singh told ANI.
Show-cause notice preceded resignation
Singh submitted his resignation to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on July 9.
In the letter, he said he was deeply hurt after receiving a show-cause notice from the Uttar Pradesh Congress Disciplinary Committee over alleged anti-party activities.
According to the notice issued on July 4, Singh was accused of violating party discipline after attending a Bharatiya Janata Party event organised to welcome BJP National President Nitin Nabin.
Cites three decades of service to Congress
In his resignation letter, Singh referred to his 35 years in the party and listed several organisational roles he had held over the years.
He said he had served as a member of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), worked as a Youth Congress leader, and spent several years as spokesperson of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.
His resignation comes amid other political developments involving Congress leaders, including legal proceedings against senior party leader Ramgopal Agrawal in Chhattisgarh in connection with the alleged coal scam case.