Chennai/ New Delhi: The Congress suffered a major embarrassment on Friday with its senior leader and former Union Environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan accusing party vice-president Rahul Gandhi of interfering in her ministry's while she was in the Manmohan Singh government.
In a letter dated November 5, 2014 to Congress president Sonia Gandhi she also charged Rahul's aides of running a campaign to defame her once she was dropped from the ministry. She resigned from the primary membership of the party later in the day. The Congress hit back at her suggesting that she was acting at the behest of the BJP.
In her letter to Sonia, Jayanthi demanded to know the reason for her sacking. She was dropped from the ministry about three months before the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
"I have still not been told by you, why I was asked to resign from the Council of Ministers. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh wrote a letter to me, accepting my resignation, in which he praised the excellent work I had done. In these circumstances, it was clearly not the Prime Minister nor my work in Government, which led to my ouster as Minister. Thus it still baffles me, why I was humiliated so brutally," she wrote in her letter.
Talking to mediapersons in Chennai on Friday, she said, "Cannot survive in a suffocating environment anymore. I feel that the time has come now for me to rethink my association because what happened in the recent past. The Congress is no longer the Congress that I joined. I hereby resign from the primary membership of the Congress party."
Launching a direct attack on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Jayanthi said all her decisions as the minister of Environment were taken by his directives. "Many of my colleagues in Cabinet protested strongly against the decisions. I had to face anger and wrath of Cabinet members many times, but I stood by the decisions I took according to Rahul Gandhi's word as I thought that is based on the party line," she said.
She claimed that her intent as a minister was clear and that she is ready for any probe that is initiated for any decisions that have been taken during her tenure. "I welcome a CBI probe since it will give me a chance to explain. I am for all enquiries," she said, and added that she will not join any party.
Recalling the campaigning for Lok Sabha elections, Jayanthi said that she was asked to address a press conference and attack the then prime ministerial candidate of the BJP Narendra Modi over the snoopgate case. However, she added that she protested against it as she did not want to raise that issue. "As a minister in UPA-II, I did not want to attack Narendra Modi on snoopgate issue but the party at the highest level wanted me to do so," she said.
"My own party has treated me so badly why should I blame Mr Narendra Modi for any allegations," a deeply hurt Jayanthi said.
The BJP and the NDA government pounced on the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley indicated that an investigation into projects Natrajan had cleared would be probed.
Congress hit back saying Natrajan was removed from the party because she was corrupt and inefficient. The party even refuted all charges levelled by her against Sonia and Rahul. "All assertions by Natarajan are factually wrong," said Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi while talking to mediapersons in the party headquarters in New Delhi.
Obviously referring to the BJP, Singhvi said, "Jayanthi is acting at the behest of her new 'political masters' who may have got evidence against her."
Singhvi said the same politicians who are behind Natarajan's letter are also behind the timing of the release of this letter. "This letter and press conference could be because of the pressure tactic of her political masters who may have some documents on the 'Jayanthi Tax' that they had coined earlier," he said.
"It is regrettable that someone who got four terms in Parliament without fighting any elections is making such factually untrue allegations," he said.
"Her comments about Congress vice president are also motivated. Congress' practice for tribals and environment is well known. We deprecate and condemn any pressure tactics. If Natarajan acted as per Congress policy, which is pro-poor, why is she using such words against Rahul Gandhi?" he said.
The Congress spokesperson said Natarajan appeared to be in a minority, of one protesting that she does not know the reason for her removal. "Perhaps Natarajan wants to follow the pro-rich, pro-corporate policy of the BJP regime," he said.
Singhvi said it was not the Congress that had coined the word 'Jayanthi Tax'. "The parties and corporates at whose instance Natarajan wrote the letter coined the term 'Jayanti Tax'. Not even once has she ever articulated her after thoughts in all these years. This is not more than an image bachao abhiyaan," he went on to say.
The Congress Rajya Sabha MP said the timing of her letter is questionable considering that Delhi elections are around the corner. "If Natarajan had a problem, she should have given up her position then," he also said.
Congress MP Veerappa Moily too lashed out at Natarajan, calling her a "liar". "Jayanthi is liar and opportunist. She should have talked about this earlier. Why is she talking about it one-and-a-half year later," he said.
Moily claimed that party vice-president Rahul Gandhi never interfered in the work of ministers. "How can she blame Rahul Gandhi for keeping 100 of files in his house?" he said.
Asked about its impact on the Delhi Assembly elections, he said, "This will not affect Delhi elections."
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