New Delhi: In a strongly-worded letter to Rahul Gandhi, Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Chief (PCC) Ajoy Kumar stepped down from the post of party president Friday, saying even the “worst criminals look better than my party colleagues”.
“As a proud Indian and one of the youngest winners of the police gallantry award and having wiped the mafia in Jamshedpur, I can confidently say some of the worst criminals look better than my party colleagues,” Kumar wrote in the letter.
Kumar, who was a former IPS officer, quit the civil services and joined the Congress in 2014. In November 2017, he took over as the Jharkhand PCC chief. Kumar is widely credited for cracking down on crime in Jamshedpur, from where he was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha. He, however, lost the election this year.
Kumar also hit out at other senior leaders in the Congress, including former union minister Subodh Kant Sahay Rameshwar Oraon, former MPs Chandra Shekar Dubey and Furqan Ansari, former Jharkhand PCC chief Pradeep Balmuchu, and accused them of trying to “grab political posts for personal benefits and have made every attempt to bypass the system that have been put in place for the benefit of the party”.
The Jharkhand unit has been battling factionalism, with many targeting Kumar for the Lok Sabha poll rout. Kumar had offered his resignation to Jharkhand Congress in-charge R.P.N. Singh on 27 May, but it was turned down.
Assembly elections are due in Jharkhand later this year.
‘What we have now is a long list of rent-seekers’
Kumar, in the letter, cited his “zero tolerance” for corruption and “any form of mediocrity” as the main reasons for his being unable to do his job “effectively”.
“Accordingly, please accept this as my formal letter of resignation as the president of the Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee,” he stated.
Kumar stressed on the need to go back to the party’s original roots and raise issues important to the people.
“It’s vital that we have good people in both the opposition and the government. Instead, what we have now is a long list of rent-seekers. Their only intention is to grab power, sell tickets or collect money in the name of elections,” he stated in the letter.
Kumar, however, praised some “genuine leaders at the Centre.”
“All of them continue to fight for the common man and they have shown me what selfless and decent politicians can achieve over some rapacious senior leaders and their own primitive idea of what modern politics entails. These so-called ‘senior leaders’ have shown me what politics should not be,” he wrote, without naming them.
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I am from Jamshedpur & I know Mr.Ajay Kumar style of working.he wiped out all criminal from Jamshedpur.He is very honest & focus on his tasks.He is respected by all irrespective of any political parties.Person like him find tough to be in politics.He doesn’t allow anyone to become with zero input.
Worst people can survived better in politics but good people can’t survive as much as worst that is the scenario of now a days politics. Good people struggling but not trailing time will Come for all. We have to wait that’s all.
Respect you Sir for clearly listing out what is wrong with the party today. More power to people like you who are honest, forthright and have a clear vision towards the Nation .
Probably none of the ancestors of Ajoy Kumar was in INC.
It is a pity that Ajoy Kumar was sidelined. It has been quite some time since he appeared as the Congress spokesman on TV shows. But I remember he did a good job when he used to appear as one. He was polite, good humored, yet aggressive, knowledgeable and good debater. Congress should take care not to lose such important assets.