Senior Congress leader pushed for resolution against Jitin Prasada, says party's Kheri unit

Although the district party chief refused to say anything beyond this, he was heard pointing towards the role of a party functionary close to the top leadership in the audio clip.
Senior Congress leader Jitin Prasada (Photo | ANI Twitter)
Senior Congress leader Jitin Prasada (Photo | ANI Twitter)

LUCKNOW: The row over the resolution seeking the expulsion of senior Congress leader Jitin Prasada by the Lakhimpur Kheri District Congress Committee in Uttar Pradesh has taken a curious turn.

Prasada was one of the 23 signatories to the letter that senior party leaders had sent to Congress high command seeking a full-time active and “visible” party president.

The Kheri district unit of the Congress had on Thursday passed the resolution seeking action against Prasada. However, the district panel chief Prahalad Patel on Friday claimed that the ‘resolution’ against ‘Mantirji’ (Jitin Prasada) was passed following the directives of a senior office-bearer of the state party unit. In fact, the draft of the resolution was sent by a functionary close to the party’s top brass, he said.

“Yes, the resolution was provided to us by Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee secretary in-charge for Lakhimpur Kheri (Kumud) Gangwar,” Patel was heard saying while talking to a party worker over the phone. The audio clip was leaked on social media.

Although Patel refused to say anything beyond this, he was heard pointing towards the role of a party functionary close to the top leadership in the audio clip.

“I have been appointed the district president and have to follow the diktats of the seniors sitting in Lucknow. The resolution condemning 23 leaders was sent by Dheeraj Gujjar. I refused to sign as I did not agree with some of the lines in the (draft) resolution. Three lines were removed. Gangwar (in-charge of Lakhimpur Kheri) was also being pressured,” Patel allegedly said in the audio.

Patel was also heard hinting at a turf war and the influence of a former MP’s son on the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC). When contacted, UPCC secretary Kumud Gangwar said there was no question of any pressure on him or the DCC president.

While the UPCC is keeping a close watch on the developments, other senior office bearers refused to say anything on record.

While a senior UPCC leader claimed that Kheri resolution against Jitin Prasada was an expression of the feelings of partymen, another leader said the resolution might have been the outcome of a turf war between Prasada and a former Congress MP from the region.  However, Prasada, while reacting to the signing the letter of dissent had said that the issue was over after discussions before Congress president Sonia Gandhi at CWC on Tuesday.

Senior leader and former Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Raj Babbar too had signed the letter. But he said he was ignorant about the demand being made for action against Prasada.

Earlier, a day before the Congress Working Committee meeting, UPCC president Ajay Kumar Lallu, Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhna Mishra ‘Mona’, legislators and other senior party leaders too had signed a joint statement targeting those who had signed the controversial letter. “For all of us, this is
the time to unite and stand by the party top leadership to fight the forces destroying Constitutional values and democracy,”  said the leaders in a joint statement.

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