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What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
In yet another setback for the Congress, CR Kesavan, great-grandson of India’s first Governor-General C Rajagopalachari on Thursday quit the grand old party citing the reason that he longer concurs with what the party stands for.
His resignation comes a day before the Congress’ 85th three-day Plenary Session to take place in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur.
Flash | @crkesavan, great-grandson of Rajagopalachari, quits Cong. In a letter to party President Mallikarjun Kharge, he wrote, " "I can no longer in good conscience say that I concur with what the Party presently symbolises, stands for …" reports @Anand_Journ pic.twitter.com/Hgny2EGapG
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) February 23, 2023
In his one page resignation letter to party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Kesavan said that he left behind a successful career abroad, returned to India to serve the nation.
“Driven by an ideology that was all inclusive and committed to the goal of incremental national transformation, I joined the Congress in 2001,” he said, adding that the journey thereafter was challenging and engaging.
“I got an opportunity to serve as Vice President [in the Rank of a State Minister] of the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development at Sriperumbudur, Member of the Prasar Bharati Board, National Council Member of the Indian Youth Congress and as a National Media Panelist, among others. I earnestly thank the Party and Sonia Gandhi ji for all the responsibilities entrusted to me over the years in Government and the organization. I have forged cherished friendships here that will remain,” he said.
Coming down heavily on the party leadership, Kesava said, “But I am truly sad to say that for a while now I have not seen any vestiges of the values that made me work for the party with dedication for over two decades. I can no longer in good conscience say that I concur with what the Party presently symbolizes, stands for nor seeks to propagate.”
“This is why I had recently declined an organizational responsibility at the National Level and also refrained from participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” he said.
He further said that it is “time for me to chart a new path and therefore I resign from the Primary Membership of the Congress Party with immediate effect.” “I have also submitted to the appropriate authority my resignation as a Trustee of the Tamilnadu Congress Committee Charitable Trust,” he added.
Kesavan quitting Congress is one more addition to the long lists of top leaders leaving the party in last few years, which includes the names of Jyotiraditya Scindia, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sushmita Deb, Jitin Prasad, RPN Singh, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Abhijeet Mukherjee, son of former President Pranab Mukherjee among others.
He also said that there will be speculation about him joining another party “but to set the record straight, I have not spoken to anybody and honestly do not know what will unfold next”.
“I will endeavour in good faith to resolutely serve our country through a political platform. It will be one where I can continue to steadfastly uphold the integrity & ideals of public life, instilled and defended by the founding fathers and mothers of our great nation and my great-grandfather C Rajagopalachari,” Kesavan added.
