Congress deems Radhika Khera's statements aligned with BJP's rhetoric

Chhattisgarh Cong says former media coordinator Radhika Khera speaking BJP's language

Chhattisgarh Congress president Deepak Baij on Monday hit out at his former party colleague Radhika Khera a day after her resignation and accused her of speaking the language of the Bharatiya Janata Party and claimed she deliberately created a controversy before exit.

Khera, the AICC's communication and media coordinator for Chhattisgarh for the Lok Sabha polls, resigned from the Congress's primary membership on Sunday, days after her altercation with another leader at the party's state unit office in Raipur. Khera also claimed she was facing opposition in the party for her visit to the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

In her resignation letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, she claimed criticism over her visit to Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya led to the denial of justice to her in the incident that happened at the party's Chhattisgarh office last month.

Talking to reporters in Raipur, state Congress president Baij alleged the entire resignation episode was a ''pre-planned political plot'' of the BJP and claimed Khera was speaking the saffron party's language.

''It was an in-house matter and linking it with temple (visit) and religion is not appropriate. The issue would have been resolved within the party. But if someone's mentality is to switch (to another party) and deliberately commit such acts, then such acts have no place in democracy,'' he said.

Asked about her allegations related to the April 30 altercation with a party colleague, Ram temple visit and denial of justice, Baij noted, ''It was a fabricated story and deliberate attempt to create a new controversy. It was pre-planned and done at the BJP's behest. This planning was going on for long.'' The Congress leader said quitting the party was Khera's personal decision, but she could have waited for the outcome of the ongoing investigation into the matter (of altercation).

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi on Monday, Khera alleged the Congress party started hating her since she visited Ram Mandir in Ayodhya along with her mother.

She alleged Sushil Anand Shukla, the Chhattisgarh Congress communication wing chairman with whom she had an altercation, offered her alcohol during party MP Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in the state in February and he used to knock on the door of her room in an inebriated condition.

Khera further claimed Shukla abused her on April 30 in the party office in Raipur, but no action was taken against him.

Strongly refuting her charges, Shukla maintained the script of Khera's story was written soon after Arvinder Singh Lovely (former Delhi Congress chief) quit the party in April-end.

''She (Khera) tried to assassinate my character. She claimed I offered her alcohol. Media persons know me. Neither I nor any of my family members have ever consumed liquor. I reject such allegations. If she wants to join the BJP, she can do so, my best wishes are with her. She was like my younger sister, but she crossed limits of levelling allegations,'' Shukla told reporters on Monday.

Denying allegations that he abused her, Shukla said, ''Khera arrived in my room in the party office on April 30 when four other party leaders were present there. I enquired from her about the scheduled visit of (Chairman, Media & Publicity department, AICC) Pawan Khera on May 1.

''She informed Pawan Khera is scheduled to visit six media houses and she has spoken to editors and heads of those media houses. I objected to her directly contacting those media houses and bypassing the party's communication unit in the state in the process.'' Shukla informed this led to an argument between them.

''She asked why would she seek my permission? I told her to accept my resignation if she wants to do everything on her own. This led to an argument. She started shouting, claiming I am blackmailing the party with the threat of resignation. I denied her claim and said she should not bypass the state communication wing. She threatened to complain against me to the high command. This was the issue,'' he said.

Shukla noted the party is investigating the matter.

''When heated arguments took place between us, she recorded the episode on her mobile phone. I challenge her to put that video in the public domain. Everything will become crystal clear. As part of investigation, statements of eyewitnesses and both of us were recorded by Deepak Baij ji. She knew the investigation would expose her therefore she escaped (resigned),'' he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)