Former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister and Dalit leader Rajendra Pal Gautam joined the Congress on Friday saying he quit chief minister Arvind Kejriwal-led party “to accelerate the struggle for social justice.”
In his resignation letter to Kejriwal, Gautam accused AAP of ignoring the Dalit interests under pressure from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s ideology. “...to accelerate the struggle for social justice and participation and involvement of Bahujan Samaj in all fields, I am resigning from all the posts and membership of Aam Aadmi Party. Jai Bheem!” Gautam said in a post on X. He also posted his three-page resignation letter.
There was no immediate response from AAP. The story will be updated when AAP responds.
Gautam joined the Congress two years after his presence at a “mass religious conversion” event in October 2022 triggered a political row. He resigned subsequently accusing the BJP of playing “dirty politics” and alleging threat calls from right-wing individuals.
Gautam, who has represented Seemapuri in the Delhi assembly since 2015, was inducted into the Kejriwal Cabinet in 2020 when the AAP returned to power for the third time. He has been one of the popular Dalit faces of the party.
{{/usCountry}}Gautam, who has represented Seemapuri in the Delhi assembly since 2015, was inducted into the Kejriwal Cabinet in 2020 when the AAP returned to power for the third time. He has been one of the popular Dalit faces of the party.
{{/usCountry}}Gautam is the third senior leader to leave AAP after Raaj Kumar Anand and Kartar Singh Tanwar ahead of the assembly polls due early next year.