Former Delhi Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan on Wednesday quit the Congress, saying he was asked to “keep silent” despite his years of work for the party when he opposed the candidature of Udit Raj from North West Delhi for the Lok Sabha poll.
The former Minister reportedly had an altercation with Deepak Babaria, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Delhi incharge, over the denial of a party ticket to Mr. Chauhan during a meeting on Sunday.
A press conference to introduce the Congress’s three Delhi Lok Sabha candidates on Monday was also marred by protests after a section of party workers supporting Mr. Chauhan raised slogans against Mr. Raj, a BJP turncoat.
Following the developments, Delhi Congress disciplinary panel had on Tuesday forwarded a complaint against Mr. Chauhan to the AICC, the party’s highest-decision making body.
Mr. Chauhan, who is also an AICC member, told reporters that he sent his resignation to the party’s Delhi chief, Arvinder Singh Lovely.
About the Sunday meeting that was called by Mr. Babria, the former Delhi Minister said, “I was trying to say that Mr. Raj has been abusing every caste, but I was silenced. I have worked for the party for so many years but I was asked to keep silent. Therefore, I tendered my resignation.”
Mr. Raj had won the North West Delhi seat on a BJP ticket in the 2014 general election and had switched to the Congress after being denied the ticket in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll.