Jolt for Congress, Barkha Singh quits party post, blames Rahul, Maken

In another setback to the Delhi Congress with the civic polls due on Sunday, its women wing chief Barkha Singh quit the post, and hit out at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and the party's Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken.

In reaction, the Congress' women wing issued a statement removing Barkha Singh from the post of president of Delhi Mahila Congress.

In a statement, All India Mahila Congress President Shobha Oza said: "This is to inform that Barkha Shukla Singh has been removed from the post of President, Delhi Pradesh Mahila Congress, with immediate effect."

Resigning from the party, Barkha Singh, a former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief, lashed out at senior party leaders. "Congress party under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Ajay Maken has only used the issue of empowerment of women and women security to gather votes. The issue means nothing to them," she said.

"In an organisation where I myself am unsafe, how will I empower other women in that organisation? That is why I hereby resign from the post of President of Delhi Mahila Congress."

"Rahul Gandhi is unfit to lead the party," she said.

"The one pertinent question we need to ask today is why is Rahul Gandhi in hiding? Why is he scared of meeting his own party members?" Singh said in a statement.

Several senior leaders had quit the party because of that very reason, she said.

"Rahul Gandhi is reluctant to address issues that exist within the organisation. Why does Rahul Gandhi shy away from meeting party leaders who ask him questions," she asked.

"He (Rahul) is only interested in meeting sycophants and not leaders who reason, question and ask," she added.

Describing herself as a loyal soldier of the Congress, Barkha Singh said she would continue to remain that.

"Ajay Maken, Rahul Gandhi's nominee in the party, misbehaved not only with me but also with several office-bearers of the Delhi Mahila Congress. When the same was brought to the notice of Rahul Gandhi, our plea fell on deaf ears."

"It is because of this attitude of Rahul Gandhi and Ajay Maken that as many as five districts presidents and 75 block presidents resigned from the organisation. One of them has also filed a complaint of harassment against Ajay Maken and (All India Mahila Congress President) Shobha Oza," she added.

The development comes after former Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely and former Youth Congress leader Amit Malik quit the party and joined the BJP on Tuesday.

--IANS

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