Barkha Singh joins BJP, says Congress ideology dead

Barkha Singh, who criticised Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and was expelled from the party, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday saying the Congress' ideology was dead.

The former Chief of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) said: "I have joined BJP to work on the ground."

She said she had been feeling "suffocated in the Congress party with no forum available" to express her views which ultimately resulted in her quitting the party.

"Ideology of Congress is dead... when I was the chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW),I use to meet Muslim women who were suffering due to Triple Talaq. When I questioned Triple Talaq, my party (Congress) asked me to leave this issue. Modiji is working on it," Singh told IANS.

Singh was expelled from the Congress on Friday for alleged anti-party activities.

Appreciating the work being done by the BJP government, she said: "BJP is doing good work. It is doing what the Congress used to do earlier".

Singh joined the BJP in the presence Union Minister Vijay Goel and the party's national Vice President Shyam Jaju.

Jaju welcomed Singh and said the party was happy for she has "chosen to work for BJP at grassroots level."

"All over the country people are voting for BJP with great hopes of development and BJP governments are working hard to meet people's aspirations," Jaju said.

Sports Minister Goel also praised Singh saying she has a long experience of working for women issues and that her joining will "strengthen the BJP team working for women empowerment."

Singh On Thursday resigned from all Congress party posts while she raised questions over the leadership of Rahul Gandhi, who she termed "unfit to lead the party" and Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken.

--IANS

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