"Can't Raise Anti-Sanatan Slogans": Gourav Vallabh On Why He Quit Congress

Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh today quit the party, citing discomfort with its current trajectory. In a post on social media, Mr Vallabh lamented the party's apparent lack of direction.

"The directionless path the Congress party is currently taking makes me uncomfortable. I cannot support anti-Sanatan slogans nor can I criticise the country's wealth creators day in and day out. Therefore, I am resigning from all positions and the primary membership of the Congress party," Mr Vallabh posted on X.

Mr Vallabh shared a two-page resignation letter, which he sent to party president Mallikarjun Kharge.

"I am feeling emotional. My heart is heavy. There's a lot I wish to express, write, and share. However, my principles forbid me from uttering anything that might cause harm to others. Nevertheless, today, I am presenting my thoughts to you because I firmly believe that concealing the truth is also an offence, and I refuse to be involved in it," he wrote in the letter.

Mr Vallabh contested the Rajasthan assembly election from Udaipur constituency in 2023. However, the BJP candidate secured a comfortable win with a margin of over 32,000 votes.

Mr Vallabh made his poll debut in 2019 from Jharkhand's Jamshedpur East, where he bagged over 18,000 and ended up in third spot behind then-sitting chief minister Raghubar Das and Saryu Roy.

He further alleged that the Congress party is moving in the wrong direction, against the 'basic principle of the party'.

"These days the party is moving in the wrong direction. On one hand, we talk about the caste-based census and on the other hand, the party seems to oppose the entire Hindu society. This style of working gives a misleading message to the public that the party is a supporter of a particular religion only. This is against the basic principles of Congress," he said.

Mr Vallabh's resignation comes on the heels of boxer Vijender Singh's defection to the BJP.