Congress leader Sushmita Dev quits party, submits letter to Sonia Gandhi

Dev was among the Congress leaders whose Twitter handle was locked over a post showing images of the parents of a nine-year-old girl who was allegedly raped and murdered in Delhi.

Congress leader Sushmita Dev has resigned from the party and on Monday changed her Twitter profile to say she was a former leader of the party. Dev wrote to party chief Sonia Gandhi offering her resignation, saying she was “beginning a new chapter of public service”. "I cherish my three-decade-long association with the National Congress. May I take this opportunity to thank the party, all its leaders, members and workers who have been my memorable journey. Madam, I thank you personally for your guidance and the opportunities you gave me. I value the enriching experience. I hope I have your good wishes as I begin a new chapter in my life of public service," she said in her letter.

Sushmita Dev is the daughter of late veteran Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev. She was first elected to Parliament for the first time in 2014 from Silchar. (Image via Twitter)

Dev is the daughter of late veteran Congress leader Santosh Mohan Dev. She was first elected to Parliament for the first time in 2014 from Silchar.

Dev, the head of the Congress' women's wing, was among the party leaders whose Twitter handle was locked for sharing images of the parents of a nine-year-old girl, who was allegedly raped and murdered in Delhi.

The images were posted by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he met with the parents, and many shared them. Twitter blocked Gandhi for posting the photograph. In defiance, Dev and several other Congress leaders changed their display picture to Gandhi’s and shared the same photograph.

In March this year, the Congress party dismissed reports of Dev resigning from the party over the issue of seat-sharing in Assam.