New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath on Wednesday night stepped down from the post of Congress in-charge of poll-bound Punjab following the controversy over his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Nath wrote to party president Sonia Gandhi expressing desire to be relieved from the charges. The Congress president immediately accepted his resignation and relieved him of his charge as party General Secretary.
Nath, who was appointed as the General Secretary in-charge of Punjab as well as Haryana only three days ago, said in his letter, "..I request that I may be relieved of my charge (of Punjab) to ensure that the attention is not diverted from the real issues facing Punjab."
He said he was "hurt by the developments of the past few days wherein an unnecessary controversy has been created around the tragic 1984 riots in New Delhi."
Insisting that there was not even any complaint or FIR against him in the riots case, Kamal Nath said, "This canard is therefore nothing but a cheap political ploy to gain traction ahead of the elections.... Certain elements are raking up these issues now only for political gains."
Expressing gratitude to Gandhi for appointing him as General Secretary in-charge of Punjab, the Congress leader wrote, "I am practitioner of Nehruvian politics and maligning of the Congress party using false accusations is unacceptable to me.
"I wish the party to focus on the upcoming elections and highlight the issues of misgovernance, misery of the farmers and youth, break down of law and order and rampant drug trade that caused untold misery to the people of Punjab."
"Kamal Nath has tendered his resignation from the responsibilities assigned to him in AICC. On his request, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has accepted his resignation," Surjewala said.
Both Shiromani Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party had hit out at Congress for appointing Nath as its general secretary in charge of Punjab, where assembly elections are to be held in 2017.
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