NEW DELHI:
Gaurav Vallabh
, for long the face of
Congress
‘s aggression on prime time television, joined BJP on Thursday in protest against the opposition party’s attacks on
wealth creators
and boycott of the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir as well as attacks by INDIA bloc parties on
Sanatan Dharma
.
“I am not able to feel comfortable with the directionless way in which the Congress party is moving forward today.
I can neither raise anti-Sanatan slogans nor abuse wealth creators of the country in the morning and evening. That is why I am resigning from all posts and primary membership of the Congress party,” Vallabh posted on X in what marked the first public attack on
Rahul Gandhi
‘s targeting of “Ambanis and Adanis”.
Calling Congress’s “anti-corporate” narrative dangerous for the nation, the economics professor said he felt stifled by the party’s economic policies. “Hundreds of unicorns are generating wealth for the country. They are generating for themselves as well but ultimately that wealth belongs to the nation. Are they sinning? Are they sinners? They are creating wealth with their capital and hard work. I cannot abuse wealth creators. That is non-negotiable and unpardonable,” he said.
Vallabh, who had once stumped his BJP counterpart by challenging him to say how many zeroes were there in a trillion, said he had conveyed his misgivings to party president Mallikarjun Kharge.
“These days, the party is moving forward in the wrong direction,” he said, explaining that while on one hand, it talked about caste-based census, on the other hand, there was a perception of being against the entire Hindu society. “This approach is giving the public a misleading message that the party is supportive only of a particular religious group. This goes against the fundamental principles of the Congress party,” he said, adding that he had always desired construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya and could not accept Congress’s decision to not go to the consecration ceremony.
The spokesperson’s departure came within 24 hours of boxer Vijender Singh, bronze medal winner at the Beijing Olympics, leaving the party. The day also saw former Bihar Congress chief Anil Sharma crossing over to BJP. The resignation of Vallabh, who joined a growing number of Congressmen to disapprove of the party leadership’s decision to boycott the consecration ceremony of Ram Mandir, also criticised the “silence” over attacks on Sanatan Dharma by DMK leaders. While Congress spokespersons distanced themselves from anti-Sanatan remarks by Udayanidhi Stalin, TN minister and son of chief minister M K Stalin, and former telecom minister A Raja, the party did not forcefully denounce their utterances, leading BJP to attack it.
