Ashwani Kumar, Former Union Law Minister Quits Congress

"Consistent With My Dignity," Says Ashwani Kumar

Senior Congress leader and former Union cabinet Minister Ashwani Kumar today resigned from the party. He quits the Congress stating, "Consistent With My Dignity."

In a resignation letter addressed to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, which was shared by news agencies, Dr. Kumar wrote, "Having given my thoughtful consideration to the matter, I have concluded that in the present circumstances and consistent with my dignity, I can best subserve the larger national cause outside the party fold."

Ashwani Kumar is the first senior UPA cabinet minister to leave the Congress to post its debilitating Lok Sabha election defeat in 2019. 

According to the statement, he said the decision to leave the Congress was “painful” but argued that the party has ceased to be the “mouthpiece” of “national aspirations” and does not promise a “transformative leadership” to the nation.

Adding more he says, the stamp of Sonia Gandhi’s judgment is not prominent now and argued what the Congress needs desperately is to “bring into existence a truly collective leadership structure in which seniority and merit would be given due respect and the elders are not denuded of their dignity.”

The Former Union Law minister later said, "I am accordingly quitting the party after a long association of 46 years and hope to proactively pursue public causes inspired by the idea of transformative leadership, based on the promise of a liberal democracy envisioned by our freedom fighters.

He further thanked and said, "While paying my respectful regards, I thank you for the consideration extended to me in the past and wish you good health in the years ahead."

Ahead of the assembly polls in Punjab, the polling is all set to take place on February 20.

Whereas the counting of votes will take place on March 10.