‘Cowards Can’t Fight This Battle Of Ideology, Truth’: Congress After RPN Singh’s Exit

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who was in charge of UP along with Priyanka Gandhi in the 2019 national election had quit the the party 2020. Last year, former Union Minister Jitin Prasada, a prominent Brahmin face of the party in UP, had also joined the BJP.

New Delhi: Congress on Tuesday unleashed a veiled attack on its former senior leader RPN Singh for switching over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), days ahead of Assembly elections in five states, including the high-stake Uttar Pradesh Assembly Polls 2022. Addressing media after Singh’s resignation from the party, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the battle the grand old party of India is fighting can only be fought with bravery, and cowards can’t be part of 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 Shrinate.

Conveying Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s message, Shrinate said, “To fight this battle you need to be on your toe, you need to have courage, you cannot be a coward and fight this battle.”

Congress leader and former Union minister RPN Singh quit Congress on Tuesday, and joined BJP, in a major setback to the party just ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election. Taking to Twitter, Singh posted his resignation letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi, “Today, at a time, we are celebrating the formation of our great Republic, I begin a new chapter in my political journey. Jai Hind.”

Notably, prior to the resignation, Singh had also changed his Twitter Bio from: My motto India, First, Always. AICC in-charge, Jharkhand, Spokesperson Congress party, Former Minister of State for Home Affairs, to “My motto India, First, Always.”

RPN Singh’s exit from the party would come off as a massive blow for Congress right before the Assembly elections of the term. Singh is, notably, the third big Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh to switch sides to BJP in the last two years. Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who was in charge of UP along with Priyanka Gandhi in the 2019 national election had quit the the party 2020. Last year, former Union Minister Jitin Prasada, a prominent Brahmin face of the party in UP, had also joined the BJP.

Elections for the 403 Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.