Hours after Milind Deora resigned from the Congress party, several Congress leaders have come out in public to lampoon their estranged colleague arguing that his departure will be ‘inconsequential’ for the party as he was a ‘losing’ candidate. Some of them also accused him of being a ‘puppet’ and a ‘greedy’ leader.
In a first response to Deora’s resignation, Congress General Secretary Communication in charge Jairam Ramesh argued that his departure will have “no affect” on the party. Arguing that BJP leader PM Modi was making Congress leaders take such decisions, Jairam Ramesh said that Milind Deora is just a “puppet”.
Speaking with media persons, he argued that Deora is inconsequential and the party will raise “lakhs of Mind Deoras”.
VIDEO | "It will have no affect. One Milind Deora will go, but lakhs of other Milind Deoras would join us. It will not affect our organisation at all," says Congress leader @Jairam_Ramesh on Milind Deora quitting the party.#MilindDeora pic.twitter.com/Z2x9DCQbvP
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 14, 2024
#WATCH | Imphal: On Milind Deora's resignation from Congress, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh says, "Prime Minister has decided this, there is no doubt about it." pic.twitter.com/yKNPctoKyZ
— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2024
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole mocked Milind Deora and referred to him as a ‘twice defeated candidate’. Taking to X, Patole alleged that Deora’s resignation was a ploy of the BJP to divert attention from Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra.
आजपासून सुरु होणा-या राहुलजी गांधी यांच्या भारत जोडो न्याय यात्रेला भाजप आणि त्यांचे सहकारी पक्ष घाबरले आहेत. त्यामुळेच यात्रेपासून दुसरीकडे लक्ष वळवण्यासाठी ED, CBI, IT यासारख्या केंद्रीय संस्थांची भिती दाखवून आमच्या काही सहता-यांना आपल्यासोबत घेत आहेत.
— Nana Patole (@NANA_PATOLE) January 14, 2024
काँग्रेस फुटणार अशा…
Patole added, “The BJP and its divisive allies, who are raising fears of a split of the Congress, are trying to divert attention from the launch of the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra by taking the two-time defeated candidate with them, but it will not succeed. ”
Responding to a media query on Milind Deora’s resignation from the party, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari termed it a “petty thing”.
#WATCH | Imphal, Manipur | On Milind Deora's resignation from the party, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari says, "Forget these petty things. Unless all Indians get justice, our struggle will continue. We will get justice for everyone."
— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2024
Party's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will begin from the… pic.twitter.com/WbzAhrF46Z
Further, Senior Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit accused Milind Deora of being a greedy and fearful person to leave the Congress party. He said that Deora has become more of a business or enterprise machine than a human.
#WATCH | On Milind Deora's resignation from Congress, party leader Sandeep Dikshit says, "…I will be surprised if someone like him, after leaving Congress would join an alliance party of the BJP…There are two big weaknesses in humans and those are greed and fear…" pic.twitter.com/E3PmgXToUC
— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2024
Former Chief Minister and Congress Working Committee member Ashok Chavan while admitting that it was for Deora to take his own decisions, claimed that Deora made the decision because he wanted to contest from the South Mumbai Lok Sabha seat but the party decided not to disturb the sitting candidate.
MP Gaurav Gogoi claimed that leaving the party was only Milind Deora’s loss.
#WATCH | Guwahati, Assam: On Milind Deora's resignation from Congress, party MP Gaurav Gogoi says, "We have come to Manipur and the people here have welcomed us because only Congress and INDIA alliance talk about the issues of Manipur. At this time, if Milind Deora ji is not here… pic.twitter.com/547W1sEnBM
— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2024
Responding to a major setback to his alliance partner, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut accused Deora of being a power-hungry politician. He claimed, ‘It’s all power politics. This is kiosk politics and nothing else.”
VIDEO | "Things like loyalty and ideology don't exist now, it is all politics now. I knew Milind Deora, he was a big leader and had a special attachment with Congress," says Shiv Sena (UBT) leader @rautsanjay61 in response to a media query on Milind Deora quitting Congress.… pic.twitter.com/Ru0uL3RStF
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 14, 2024
However, some of the Congress party leaders termed the latest development as a major disappointment or setback for the party, adding that the Former Congress leader should reconsider his decision. It is important to note that by afternoon he had joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad said it is unfortunate that former Union Minister Milind Deora has decided to leave the party on the day the Rahul Gandhi-led ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ is starting from violence-hit Manipur. Gaikwad said that Deora should reconsider his decision.
#WATCH | On Milind Deora's resignation from Congress, Congress leader and Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad says, "…The Deora family has a different equation with the Congress family. Milind Deora's resignation from Congress' primary membership is unfortunate. Today I am… pic.twitter.com/FEjyzxb05L
— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2024
Gaikwad released a video urging the former South Mumbai MP to reconsider his decision. She said, ‘It is unfortunate that Deora has decided to step down on the day when the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra is starting from Manipur. I urge him to reconsider his decision. Congress has always stood with him.”
She added, “The Congress party is extremely saddened by this.”
Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam linked Milind Deora’s resignation with the party’s decision to not attend the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha. He said, “Congress has been infested with people who neither want to listen to the truth, nor support Sanatan Dharma or Lord Ram. Those who talk about Lord Ram, truth, or the ground reality, are slowly drifting away from the party. Milind Deora’s resignation is unfortunate… I pray to god that the whole party does not suffer due to the mistakes of some people…”
#WATCH | On Milind Deora's resignation from Congress, party leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam says, "Congress has been infested with people who neither want to listen to the truth, nor support Sanatan Dharma or Lord Ram. Those who talk about Lord Ram, truth, or the ground reality,… pic.twitter.com/UiAPs7lJPY
— ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2024
He added, “Those who talk about the nation and Lord Ram, are not liked by the inner circle of Congress, which is influenced by the leftist ideology… This is why senior leaders who were the closest to the Gandhi family, have left the party…”
