In what has added to the Congress’ woes ahead of the assembly elections in Gujarat, influential Patidar leader and working president of party’s state unit Hardik Patel resigned from the Grand Old Party on Wednesday. This came just a month after he went public with his bashing of the party’s state unit when he compared his position in the party to the feeling of a “groom forced into nasbandi (vasectomy)”.
Before quitting, Patel (28), who had joined the Congress in 2019, wrote a scathing letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi, claiming the Congress “only played to the role of a roadblock” over certain key issues in the country and was “merely reduced to opposing everything”.
Hardik Patel had gained prominence in 2015 after he led the agitation seeking reservation for the Patidar community in the state. He was made the Gujarat Congress working president in July 2020. Here are the 10 scathing attacks he made on the Congress and its leadership in his resignation letter:
- Patel said that despite his constant attempts to steer the Congress in the right direction, the party has been continuously working against the interests of the country and society.
- He said that the Congress leadership — both at the state and central levels — has been reduced to opposing everything over the last three years.
- Patel said the Congress played the role of a roadblock on a range of issues, including Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and implementation of GST. He had recently praised the BJP over its stand on the same issues.
- Referring to the poll debacles faced by the Congress, Patel said the party has been rejected in almost every state because it has failed to president a basic roadmap to the people.
- Without taking any names, Patel — in an apparent jibe at Rahul Gandhi — said party leaders were “enjoying abroad” whenever the country faced a crisis or the party was in need of a strong leadership.
- Hardik said whenever he met the senior leadership of the Congress, the leaders were “more engrossed on what messages they had received on their mobile” rather than hearing about issues faced by the people of Gujarat.
- He said that while workers like him were travelling 500-600 km in a day to meet people, the senior leaders of the state unit were busy ensuring that “Chicken Sandwich for leaders who have come from Delhi is delivered on time”.
- Patel also accused the Congress of insulting Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and said that the youth of the country has lost faith in the party, which is why they don’t want to be seen as a Congress worker or voter.
- He said that not only the Congress abstained from doing anything beneficial for the people of Gujarat but also ridiculed him and his community as he tried to do something good.
- Patel said that when he joined the Congress, he was unaware that the “hearts and minds of leadership of the Congress are filled with such hatred towards our country.”
- He said that after having resigned from the Congress, he was sure of receiving support from his friends, supporters and associates.
Here’s the full text of Hardik Patel’s resignation letter:
Respected Sonia Gandhi Ji,
Subject – Resignation from Primary Membership of Indian National Congress
Despite several attempts to steer the Congress in the right direction, the party has constantly been working against the interests of my country and our society. Hence, I wish to draw your attention to certain very important subjects.
We are in the 21st century and India is the youngest country in the world. The youth of our country wants a strong and capable leader. Over the last 3 years I have found that the Congress party and its leadership both at central and state level have been merely reduced to opposing everything, whereas the people always seek an alternative that thinks of their future and is capable of taking India Ahead. Be it the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, revocation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir, implementation of GST – India wanted solutions for these subjects for a long time and Congress only played the role of a roadblock and was always only obstructive. When it came to issues related to India, Gujarat and my Patidar community – Congress’s only stand was to oppose whatever Govt. of India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji did! Congress today has been rejected in almost every state of India because the party and its leadership have not been able to present a basic roadmap to the people.
Lack of seriousness about all issues is a major problem with the Congress Party’s senior leadership. Whenever I met with the senior leadership, always felt that leaders were not really interested in hearing about problems concerning the people of Gujarat but were more engrossed on what messages they had received on their mobile and other such trivial things. Whenever our country faced challenges and when the Congress needed leadership, Congress leaders were enjoying abroad! Senior leaders behave in a way like they hate Gujarat and Gujaratis. How in the world can the Congress then expect that people of Gujarat will see them as an alternative to lead our state?
It is unfortunate that workers like us, who travel 500-600 kms in our cars in a single day to meet people, get to see that Big leaders of Congress in Gujarat are far away from issues of Gujarat but are more focussed on ensuring that Chicken Sandwich for leaders who have come from Delhi is delivered on time! Whenever I went among the youth I was always asked why I was in a party which constantly insulted Gujaratis – be it in the business sector, in matters of religion and even in politics. Gujaratis can never forget how the Congress party has insulted Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. I strongly believe that Congress has broken the faith youth had in the party for many years and that is why today no youngster is willing to be even seen as our worker or voter.
You would be well aware of how leaders of Gujarat Congress have weakened the party, diluted many issues of public importance – all for humongous personal financial gains. Political thoughts can be different but this kind of a sell out by our leaders for so many years is a betrayal of the people of Gujarat. I feel sad and disgusted at the same time as almost everyone in Gujarat is aware of this.
Everyone who is active in political and social life must keep working for the people, but it’s almost like the Congress doesn’t want to do anything good for Gujarat. Even when people like me wanted to do something good for the state, all I and my community faced was ridicule and contempt. When I joined the Congress I did not know that the hearts and minds of leadership of the Congress are filled with such hatred towards our country India, towards my community and especially towards the youth!
Today, I have decided to resign from the primary membership of the party. I am sure that I will receive immense support for this decision from all my friends, supporters, associates from various movements I am part of and the people of Gujarat at large. believe that after this step, I will truly be able to work positively for the people of our state. am indebted to the people of Gujarat for their love and affection, and I will continue to strive in the interest of our country.
