Rarely are the people granted such an insight into what occurs behind the facade and the aplomb of a national party as prolific as the Indian National Congress.
But Ms. Jayanthi Natarajan, in a letter to Ms. Sonia Gandhi, published exclusively in The Hindu , has made extraordinary claims regarding her resignation from the position of Minister of State for Environment and Forests in December 2013.
She starts off the letter by narrating her family’s enduring loyalty to the Congress and her own untarnished record of working for this party for over 30 years.
And then she recalls the day she was called into PM Manmohan Singh’s office.
He said “Jayanthi, I have been told by Congress President, that your services are required for party work.” I was puzzled, and I said, “Yes Sir. So what should I do?” He replied, “She wants you to resign.” I was shocked and said, “Resign Sir? But when?” He replied “Today.”
The initial reports in the press confirm as much.
But Ms. Natarajan claims that Shri Rahul Gandhi’s office flooded media with adverse reports about her resignation which has led to her being sidelined from the party, and her political career coming under serious attack.
She further claims that she was forced to resign just in time for Rahul to make tall claims to industry leaders. Assurances that the government was working to clear infrastructure projects, but whose environmental impact, according to Ms. Natarajan, was questionable.
I strictly followed the laws and rules and tried to protect the environment, in keeping with the legacy of Smt. Indira Gandhi and Shri Rajiv Gandhi, who first brought in the Environment Protection Act.
So even when rules and regulations are followed to the letter, inconvenience to big business houses must definitely take precedence. Because money from them makes the economy prosper, makes the party grow and will definitely go into financing a better ad agency for Shri Rahul Gandhi.
Other issues she has touched upon in the letter includes being pressurised against her wishes, to attack Modi on what became the infamous ‘Snoopgate’.
And then, being dropped as the official spokesperson for the Congress party. All being done at the whims and fancies of the ‘High Command’ without any explanations as to why she must do so.
Sounds very antithetical to the idea of democracy within a national party.
While Ms. Jayanthi Natarajan’s letter does reek of sycophancy, we are thankful, nonetheless, for the look into the inner workings of the Congress party. They have been quiet far too long.
How can Rahul Baba assure the villagers and tribal of Niyamgiri that he will fight for them and be their ‘ sipahi’, while assuring business houses that environmental clearances will not be a problem?
Ms. Natarajan, following the publication of the letter, spoke at a press conference where she reiterated what she wrote and also, officially resigned from the Congress.
But all questions about her intentions and actions aside, this letter is the first such communique from a senior politician, who deserves appreciation for trying to bring out the truth as she did.