Rajagopalachari’s great-grandson CR Kesavan leaves the Cong: “Don’t agree”

Congressman CR Kesavan’s resignation: CR Kesavan wrote in his letter of resignation that he can no longer declare, with integrity, that he agrees with what the party represents and stands for

The first Governor-General of India, C Rajagpalachari’s great-grandson, CR Kesavan, resigned from the Congress on Thursday, citing disagreements with the “current” course the party is on. CR Kesavan said in his letter of resignation to the party’s president Mallikarjun Kharge that he had not seen any “vestige of the value” that had motivated him to serve for the organisation for more than 20 years.

In the letter, he stated, “I can no longer say that I coincide with what the Party currently symbolises, stands for… This is why I recently renounced an organisational duty at the national level and also abstained from participating in the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

After some time had passed, CR Kesavan told ANI that he had come to believe that the party’s strategy and attitude were neither practical nor productive. “I have belonged to the Congress party for the last 22 years, but regrettably, over time, I felt that the attitude and approach in Congress were neither positive nor practical. The principles I fought for shifted, he claimed.

“I must forge a new course, thus with immediate effect, I resign from the Congress party’s primary membership. I have also handed in my resignation as a trustee of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Charitable Trust to the competent authorities “the letter of resignation stated.

CR Kesavan shot against rumours that he could switch parties and that an offer may have prompted his departure, saying he had no idea what will happen next. To clear up any confusion, he stated, “I have not spoken to anyone and, to be quite honest, I have no idea what will happen next.

CR Kesavan said in his letter that he had come back to India in order to serve the people because of a philosophy that was “all inclusive and devoted to the objective of gradual national development.”

Kesavan described his experience in the Congress from 2001 as tough and interesting. He was given the chance to hold positions such as vice president of the Prasar Bharati Board and vice president of the Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development in Sriperumbudur.

CR Kesavan thanked Sonia Gandhi for the opportunity and expressed scepticism about the direction the party is taking “I shall make an honest effort to steadfastly serve our nation on a political platform. It will be one in which I may continue to tenaciously protect the integrity and principles of public life that were ingrained and upheld by our wonderful nation’s founding fathers and mothers as well as my great-grandfather C Rajagopalachari.”

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Anil Antony, the son of AK Antony, the former defence minister, left the party a month before to CR Kesavan’s resignation. Anil highlighted the BBC controversy, in which he expressed support for PM Modi and criticism of the BBC, but CR Kesavan did not give a specific justification. Nonetheless, he brought up the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the fact that he chose not to participate in the Rahul Gandhi-led Kanyakumari to Kashmir Yatra because he was fed up with the opposition party.