The "Jai Shri Ram" flag was hoisted atop Kamal Nath's Delhi residence
Amid a buzz in the political corridors over former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath quitting the Congress and joining the BJP, the veteran leader has removed the "Jai Shri Ram" flag which was hoisted atop his residence.
The flag was reportedly seen on the roof of Mr Nath's residence in Delhi yesterday.
Rumours of Mr Nath and his son, Nakul Nath, leaving the grand old party have been doing the rounds for the past few weeks.
They intensified on Saturday when Kamal Nath arrived in Delhi and his son, the lone Congress MP from Madhya Pradesh, reportedly dropped the party's name from his bio on social media. There was speculation that Mr Nath would meet the BJP leadership in the national capital.
READ | Will Kamal Nath's BJP Move Lead To Exodus? Congress Works To Limit Damage
According to sources, Kamal Nath is upset over his removal from the Madhya Pradesh Congress chief post after the party's crushing defeat to the BJP in the assembly election held last year.
The Congress, however, has denied reports of Mr Nath leaving the party, citing his long association with it and stressing the fact that former prime minister Indira Gandhi had called him her "third son" while campaigning for him in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara, a constituency he represented as an MP for nine terms.
READ | Kamal Nath Considering Joining BJP, Told Congress He's "Unhappy": Sources
His successor, Jitu Patwari, on Sunday said that Mr Nath is not joining the BJP.
"I had a talk with Kamal Nath ji who told me that the reports floating in the media were part of a conspiracy. He told me he was a Congressman and will remain in the Congress," Mr Patwari told the news agency PTI.
"His relationship with the Gandhi family is unshakable. He has lived with the ideology of Congress and will remain with it till the end. This is what he told me," he added.