Was being forced to expel Congress loyalists, my conscience didn’t allow that: Arvinder Singh Lovely

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, April 30

Senior Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely, the tallest Sikh leader of the party in the national capital, on Tuesday said he resigned as Delhi Congress president to escape “constant pressure being exerted on him to suspend hardcore Congress men whose generations dedicated their lives for the party and not because of a pre-Lok Sabha poll alliance with AAP”.

Speaking to The Tribune, Lovely attacked Dipak Babaria, AICC general secretary (Delhi and Haryana), saying, “The general secretary wanted me to act against diehard Congress leaders who were upset that two of the only three seats we got in a pre-poll pact with AAP had been handed out to outsiders.”

“Even an ordinary politician would know that on election eve, we need to pacify those who are upset not expel them,” Lovely said as factional wars in state Congress unit surfaced with ex-minister and Congress Working Committee member Ajay Maken-led group scoring in the first round as Maken loyalist Devender Yadav took over as interim Delhi unit chief replacing Lovely.

Lovely said he was taken aback with the speed at which his resignation was accepted.

“The Congress, which is famous for delaying decisions, accepted my four-page resignation letter within hours and general secretary concluded soon thereafter that I had resigned under BJP pressure, a patent lie,” Lovely said, adding that he had hoped to be engaged with Lok Sabha poll looming on May 25.

The ex-Delhi Congress chief also disclosed that Babaria wanted him to act against Raj Kumar Chauhan, PWD minister in the late Sheila Dikshit-led state government for 12 years; Congress district president Surinder Kumar, a former three-time MLA; Sheila Dikshit’s son and ex-MP Sandeep Dikshit; besides about 15 block presidents.

“These leaders agitated outside the Delhi state Congress office against the ticket to outsiders (read Kanhaiya Kumar in North East Delhi and Udit Raj in North West Delhi). They needed to be pacified, not expelled. A disciplinary committee meeting was called at the party office without my knowledge. Messages were sent to me to show cause and suspend them. My conscience did not allow me and I quit,” Lovely said. Delhi Congress leaders had in the past accepted outsider nominees who were party stalwarts, former PM Manmohan Singh, former minister Arjun Singh, ex-CM Sheila Dikshit, late actor Rajesh Khanna among them, he added.

“But this time, we have gone too far with outsider nominees. As state chief, I wasn’t even informed who the candidates will be,” Lovely said, adding that the AAP-Congress alliance was not the reason he quit and he “in fact ensured Delhi cadres fell in line with the alliance unlike in Punjab.”

Asked what he would do next amid speculation that the BJP could replace its East Delhi candidate with him, Lovely said, “I have been meeting my supporters. I have not said I am leaving so the Congress need not be scared. But their constant caustic statements targeting me are not helping. They should stop provoking me.”

Lovely had earlier quit the Congress for the BJP in May 2017 and come back in February 2018.

Congress’ tallest Sikh leader in Delhi

• Arvinder Singh Lovely has been the tallest Sikh leader of the Congress in Delhi since 2003 when Mahinder Singh Saathi exited active politics
• He was the youngest MLA when first elected in 1998 from Gandhi Nagar; he represented the seat till 2015
• Was one among the only eight Congress leaders to win in the 2013 Assembly elections when AAP decimated the party
• He unsuccessfully contested the 2019 LS poll from East Delhi where he stood second after winner BJP’s Gautam Gambhir, AAP’s Atishi stood third