NEW DELHI: Former Food Minister Kalpnath Rai has resigned from the primary membership of the Congress charging the party leadership with starting a“ vilification” campaign against him and “destroying his credibility.”
In his resignation letter sent to the party president, Mr.P.V. Narasimha Rao, from Tihar jail, where he is lodged judicial custody under TADA for having allegedly harbored six accomplices of underworld don Dawood To Rahim, Mr. Rai said he would go the “court of his voters and they would give their real decision.”
Mr, Rai, who had earlier announced that he would contest the Lok Sabha poll from the jail, said in a letierto Mr. Rao that as regards the question of harboring criminals, “I was the first ‘One to send the entire information to you through your Principal Secretary, Mr.A.N, Verma, after getting the Letter from the Prime Minister’s Office,
You kept his information close to your heart for full three years and I even continued to be a member of your Council of Ministers.
“If | am accused of harboring the friends of Dawood Ibrahim, then Mr, Prime Minister you are definitely co accused,” the former Food Minister charged.
“Shri Narasimha Raoji, please accept this very letter as my resignation from the primary membership of the party of your leadership and free my sprint from the unnecessary burden,” Mr. Rai said.
The copies of the resignation letter sent by Mr. Rai to the party president were made available to the Press. Recalling his resignation as the Food Minister in the wake of the sugar scam, Mr. Rai claimed that he was “innocent” and said the Prime Minister had defended his role on the issue in Parliament.
He resigned as he was asked by Mr. Rao to do so to protect his position.”
His four page letter said fearful that he would come out with the truth on the sugar scam, Mr, Rao started a campaign of vilification against him to destroy his credibility, (Mr, Rao) that the Congress would emerge as a stronger and more democratic institution and he would respect the sacrifices of the Nehru family, Patel and Subash Chandra Bose, Mr, Rai said: “But instead you de voted more energy to eroding the Congress base.” Mr, Rai, who represents the Ghosi Lok Sabha constituency in eastern Uttar Pradesh, alleged that top party leaders Of the Hindi belt like Mr. Arjun Singh and Mr.N.D. Tiwari were forced out of the party and leaders like Mr, Madhavrao Scindia, Mr, Bal Ram Jakhar and Mr.V.C, Shukla had been humiliated by the party leadership.
He charged the Prime Minister with consolidating his position and power from the very first day he assumed the high office.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 3, 1996
