Congress leaders are more interested in 'chicken sandwich': Hardik Patel after quitting party

Hardik Patel said that Gujarat Congress leaders are least bothered to address real issues but are more focussed on ensuring that the leaders from Delhi who come to Gujarat are served with a "chicken sandwich".

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Congress Committee working president Hardik Patel, who resigned from all party posts earlier on Wednesday, took a pot shot at the state Congress leaders, saying they are more focussed on ensuring that the leaders from Delhi get "chicken sandwich" on time. 

Patel further said that Gujarat Congress leaders are least bothered to address real issues of Gujarat but are more focussed on ensuring that the leaders who come from Delhi to Gujarat are served with "chicken sandwich".

"Lack of seriousness about all issues is a major problem with the Congress party`s senior leadership. Whenever our country faced challenges and when Congress needed leadership, Congress leaders enjoyed abroad! Senior leaders behave in a way like they hate Gujarat and Gujaratis. How in the world can Congress then expect that the people of Gujarat will see them as an alternative to lead our state?" Patel said in his resignation letter sent to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi.

Putting all speculations to rest, Gujarat Congress working president Hardik Patel earlier on Wednesday resigned from all party posts. Patel took to Twitter to inform that he is resigning from all party posts in the Congress party. 

"Today I took the courage to resign from the post (Gujarat Congress Committee working president) and primary membership of the Congress Party. I am sure that my decision will be welcomed by all my colleagues and the people of Gujarat. I believe that after this step, I will be able to work truly for Gujarat in future," Patel tweeted.

आज मैं हिम्मत करके कांग्रेस पार्टी के पद और पार्टी की प्राथमिक सदस्यता से इस्तीफा देता हूँ। मुझे विश्वास है कि मेरे इस निर्णय का स्वागत मेरा हर साथी और गुजरात की जनता करेगी। मैं मानता हूं कि मेरे इस कदम के बाद मैं भविष्य में गुजरात के लिए सच में सकारात्मक रूप से कार्य कर पाऊँगा। pic.twitter.com/MG32gjrMiY — Hardik Patel (@HardikPatel_) May 18, 2022

Patel further stated that during his three years stint in the party, he found that the Congress party and its leadership both at the central and state level merely reduced to opposing everything.

Referring to Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, revocation of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir and implementation of GST, Patel said India wanted solutions for these subjects for a long time and Congress only played the role of a "roadblock and was always only obstructive".

"It is unfortunate that workers like us, who travel 500 - 600 km in our cars in a single day to meet people, get to see those big leaders of Congress in Gujarat who are least bothered to address real issues in Gujarat but are more focussed on ensuring that chicken sandwich for leaders who have come from Delhi is delivered on time!" he said. 

Patel said Gujarat Congress has weakened the party and diluted many issues of public importance - all for "humongous personal financial gains". He said Congress today has been rejected in almost every state of India because the party and its leadership have not been able to present a basic roadmap to the people.

"When I joined the Congress I did not know that the hearts and minds of the leadership of the Congress are filled with such hatred towards our country India, towards my community and especially towards the youth! Today, I have decided to resign from the primary membership of the party," he said. 

"I am sure that I will receive immense support for this decision from all my friends, supporters, and associates from various movements I am a part of the people of Gujarat at large. I believe that after this step, I will truly be able to work positively for the people of our state. I am indebted to the people of Gujarat for their love and affection, and I will continue to strive in the interest of our country," added Patel.

Hardik Patel's resignation has surely come as a major blow to Congress just a few months before the state Assembly elections. There were reports about him being sidelined and ignored by the senior Gujarat party leaders.

Hardik Patel, the poster boy of the Patidar agitation movement in Gujarat, was reportedly upset with the treatment being given to him and was mulling quitting the party, sources close to him had indicated earlier.

Sources said that "the impasse between Hardik and Congress has shown no signs of thaw" in recent times. Hardik Patel also recently removed the name of the party from his Twitter bio, sparking speculation that he was on his way out soon.

Patel shot to the limelight in 2015 at the helm of a quota agitation for his community - a movement that pitted him strongly against the BJP-led state government at the time. He joined the Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections but did not contest because of a conviction in a rioting and arson case.

(With Agency Inputs)