Blow to Cong as Chaturvedi quits party, joins Shiv Sena : The Tribune India

Join Whatsapp Channel

Blow to Cong as Chaturvedi quits party, joins Shiv Sena

NEW DELHI: The Congress suffered a major mid-election embarrassment today with the AICC media cell convener and national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi quitting all party posts and joining BJP''s Maharashtra ally, the Shiv Sena, in Mumbai.

Blow to Cong as Chaturvedi quits party, joins Shiv Sena

Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray (L) and Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray (R) welcome Priyanka Chaturvedi into the party by tying Shiv Bandhan, at Matoshri in Mumbai on April 19. PTI



Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 19

The Congress suffered a major mid-election embarrassment today with the AICC media cell convener and national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi quitting all party posts and joining BJP's Maharashtra ally, the Shiv Sena, in Mumbai.

Known for her fiery anti-BJP interventions, Chaturvedi resigned from the Congress accusing it of failing to practise the values of women's empowerment and dignity that it preached.

"The time that I now spend in the Congress will be at the cost of my self-respect and dignity," Chaturvedi said in her resignation to Congress president Rahul Gandhi days after the party reinstated a bunch of UP leaders who had allegedly misbehaved with Chaturvedi when she was in Mathura to hold a party conference.

“How would you feel if someone sexually harasses you at home and when you complain to your mother she tells you to keep silent and says the issue can be handled later?” said Chaturvedi as she joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of party chief Uddhav Thackrey. I have a natural connect with the Shiv Sena being a Maharashtrian, she said as she made the switch days after attacking minister Smriti Irani who is challenging Gandhi in the Amethi LS seat.

Chaturvedi dismissed any links between denial of Lok Sabha ticket to her by the Congress and the resignation and said she had worked in the Congress for 10 years without expectations of rewards but could not suffer indignity as a woman. 

“… what saddens me is that though safety, dignity and empowerment of women has been your call for to action, the same is not reflected in the action of some members of the party. A serious incident of misbehaviour against me by certain party members while I was on official duty has been ignored under the guise of all hands needed for elections. This indignity to me has been the final factor to convince me to move on and focus on other things outside INC,” Chaturvedi said to Gandhi, adding that she felt her services were no longer valued.

 Congress media head Randeep Surjewala, however, downplayed the development saying “we feel pain whenever someone leaves us but we wish everyone well because everyone has the right to career progression.”

Chaturvedi’s exit comes close on the heels of the resignation of Gujarat MLA Alpesh Thakor and another senior Congress leader from Kerala, Tom Vadakkan.

Top News

Chief Judicial Magistrate's court in UP's Banda orders judicial inquiry into death of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari

UP court orders judicial probe into gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari’s death

Ghazipur MP Afzal Ansari on Tuesday alleged that his brother...

‘Heart attack or poisoning’: The life and times of Mukhtar Ansari—crime and politics

‘Heart attack or poisoning’: The life and times of Mukhtar Ansari—crime and politics

Eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh are among the poorest regions...

Alka Rai, widow BJP MLA killed by Mukhtar Ansari, says 'justice has been served', visits Ram Mandir

Alka Rai, widow BJP MLA killed by Mukhtar Ansari, says 'justice has been served', visits Ram Mandir

Alka Rai is the wife of MLA Krishanand Rai, who was shot dea...

Cash-strapped Congress gets fresh IT notice of Rs 1,700 crore, say party insiders

Cash-strapped Congress gets fresh I-T notice of Rs 1,800 crore

Ajay Maken addresses a press conference

CBI files chargesheet against 20 institutes, 105 individuals in Himachal Pradesh multi-crore scholarship scam

CBI files chargesheet against 20 institutes, 105 individuals in Himachal Pradesh multi-crore scholarship scam

22 educational institutions were on CBI radar in the scholar...


Cities

View All