Kamal Nath resignation adds to Congress confusion

Veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath has resigned from the post of general secretary to relieve himself from the charge of the Punjab assembly elections after he came under fire for his alleged role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The development came barely three days after he was given the charge of Punjab, which goes to polls next year, but the move was criticized by opposition parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).

Nath, who replaced party general secretary Shakeel Ahmad, was also given the charge of Haryana but there is no clarity on whether or not he will continue with that charge. Party leaders feel that since Nath has stepped down as the general secretary, he would not keep the Haryana charge either.

Within the party, the move has raised questions and criticism by leaders who feel the party did not think this through and that the announcement was made without any extensive consultation.

“Kamal Nath being given the charge of Punjab was bound to create negative buzz and criticism. Either the party should not have given him the charge or we should have stuck to our stand with a strong defence. This back-and-forth on a decision as crucial as this does not show us in a good light,” a senior party leader from the state said, requesting anonymity.

Political strategist Prashant Kishor is handling the upcoming elections for the Congress in Punjab, where the party is trying to come back to power after a decade, and former chief minister Amarinder Singh is the face of party’s election campaign.

“I request that I may be relieved of my charge (of Punjab) to ensure that the attention is not diverted from the real issues facing Punjab,” Nath said in a letter on Wednesday, adding that he was “hurt by the developments of the past few days wherein an unnecessary controversy has been created around the tragic 1984 riots in New Delhi”.

There was no complaint filed with the police against him in the riots case, he wrote, adding, “This canard is therefore nothing but a cheap political ploy to gain traction ahead of the elections... Certain elements are raking up these issues now only for political gains.”

The party was quick to accept his resignation. “Kamal Nath has tendered his resignation from the responsibilities assigned to him in AICC (All India Congress Committee). On his request, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has accepted his resignation,” party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.

The big question now is who will be given the charge of Punjab—whether the party will appoint a new face or whether one of the general secretaries will take additional charge of the state. Given the political importance of the state and the upcoming polls, leaders feel the party may go for the former.