Hours after RPN Singh joined BJP, party leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday unfollowed him on Twitter. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra still follows Singh on the microblogging site
Our Bureau
New Delhi/Lucknow
On Tuesday, soon after joining Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), former Union Minister RPN Singh met BJP chief JP Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at the party headquarters in the national capital. Singh joined BJP after quitting Congress and said that he will work as a ‘karyakarta’ towards fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dreams for India.
Addressing a press conference at BJP headquarters today, Singh said, “I spent 32 years in one political party (Congress). But that party has not remained the same as it was before.”
Taking a jibe at the Congress party, the former Union Minister said that the party does not have the same ideology anymore. “I had clearly said in my press conference that the party (Congress) is no more the one where I had worked, it is not the same ideology anymore. I would not like to add anything further to it,” he said.
Responding to the speculations of his wife Sonia Singh and him contesting the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, he said, “I am the only one in politics. I will definitely do what the party asks me to.”
After Singh joined joining the BJP, Congress removed his nameplate from the party headquarters.
Hours after RPN Singh joined BJP, party leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday unfollowed him on Twitter. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra still follows Singh on the microblogging site along with senior Congress functionaries. RPN Singh has also changed his Twitter cover photo as well and uploaded a recent BJP induction picture alongside which has Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP UP president Swatantra Dev Singh. Singh was also on the list of star campaigners for Congress in the Uttar Pradesh polls.
Congress on Tuesday unleashed a veiled attack on RPN Singh over his resignation by saying that the battle Congress is fighting only can be fought with bravery, coward people can’t fight it.
“The battle Congres is putting up all across the country, particularly in Uttar Pradesh is a battle against government resources, its agencies. It’s a battle of ideology, truth and to fight a battle as strong pitched as this one you have to fight it with courage and a lot of dedication. I don’t think this fight is meant for cowards,” said Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate while addressing a press conference.
But Singh termed the trend of Congress leaders leaving their party to join other political opponents as ‘sad’. “No one is leaving Congress over tickets, the ones leaving are those who selflessly served the party for 25-30 years. In fact, our government was there in Uttar Pradesh for over 30 years and people serving the party sacrificed their entire lives for it. It is not only the big leaders, but leaders at the village and district levels are leaving Congress too. There is a rush to leave the party in UP, which is sad,” he said.
Responding to Congress leader Supriya Shrinate’s comments after his departure from the party, he said, “I don’t want to make any personal remarks, may God give them good sense.”
Meanwhile, Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur, Avinash Pandey, newly appointed General Secretary Incharge of Jharkhand and Ajoy Kumar met with party leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Wednesday and briefed him about the recent political developments in the state after RPN Singh quit the party and joined the BJP.
“I met Rahul Gandhi. Because of COVID, I couldn’t meet him. Yes, we spoke regarding RPN Singh, Rahul Gandhi is our former president and our leader.” He further added, “I have given him details. He (Rahul Gandhi) always says that we need to fight bravely, no need to be afraid of anyone. It’s his mantra to ‘not be afraid’. And we are not scared of anyone. We are not the type of people that we are afraid of anyone and leave the party. We will strongly stand by the party and fight. Rahul asked for details of Sadeysta Abhiyan, Jan Jagran Abhiyan. We have given him all the details, told him there is nothing to worry about.”
