Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat

“Rats are abandoning a ship,” said All India Congress Committee(AICC) Secretary and Rahul Gandhi loyalist Deepak Babaria in Ahmedabad, reacting to Jayanthi Natarajan’s resignation from Congress party. He also hinted that Rahul Gandhi may become party president replacing Sonia Gandhi in near future.

Babaria was speaking to local news channels on the sidelines of a dharna event in Ahmedabad. Media persons were seeking his reaction because Jayanthi Natarajan who resigned from Congress party today mentioned Babaria’s name in her letter written to Sonia Gandhi that is now in public domain.

Natarajan had in her letter stated, ” the complaints of the local fisher folk and NGOs of environmental violations in the Adani case were forwarded to me by Shri Rahul Gandhi’s office, and I was told to liaise with Shri Deepak Babaria in the matter.”

When asked to react, Babaria said, “this is political opportunism. She realized that Rahul Gandhi doesn’t like ‘garbadi’ people in Congress party. Those who settle in position and don’t work are not accepted to Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi wants a system which is good for poor and common people. He wants people who work responsibly with ethics for common people and for party workers. Therefore vested interest elements inside and outside party feel that they will have no space once Rahul Gandhi becomes party president, and therefore all rats are leaving a ship.”

Later in a written statement issued by Gujarat Congress headquarters, Deepak Babaria said, “In democratic process, when citizens face some problem, they try to convey their grievances to elected government through party leaders or elected representatives. In Kutch, Adani group had caused serious environmental problems affecting farmers, fishermen and local people adversely. I was approached by affected people and local NGO in capacity of AICC Secretary, so that I can convey the issue to central government. I had arranged their meetings with Rahul Gandhi and represented the issues, in reference to which Shri Rahul Gandhi suggested me to meet Jayanthi Natarajan. Later representations were made to Natarajan and she was requested to appoint an impartial, neutral expert committee to obtain ground realities so that necessary steps could be taken. Natarajn and her ministry had accepted the demand.”

Babaria further said, “While working closely with Shri Rahul Gandhi, I have never seen him giving directives to any minister to take stand in favor or against someone in any issue. In this matter, he had just heard the affected people and arranged a meeting with the minister to give them justice. He had taken no special interest beyond this.”

“If Natarajan felt that Rahul Gandhi was unnecessarily interfering in her department matter or pressurizing her, then she could submit her resignation at that point of time. In constitutional process, the minister has to take own decision using her own wisdom as per the policy, rules and laws,” he said.

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