Kanhaiya Kumar Joins Congress
New Delhi: Former student leader Kanhaiya Kumar joined the Congress party in New Delhi, in the presence of party leader Rahul Gandhi.
Gujarat Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani, too, extended his support to the outfit, though he couldn’t join the party formally due to technical reasons.
“I am joining the Congress because it’s not just a party, it’s an idea. It’s the country’s oldest and most democratic party, and I am emphasising on ‘democratic’…Not just me, but many think the country can’t survive without Congress,” Kumar said.
“Congress party is like a big ship. If it’s saved, I believe many people’s aspirations, Mahatma Gandhi’s oneness, Bhagat Singh’s courage, and BR Ambedkar’s idea of equality will be protected, too.
This is why I have joined it.” He felt that a particular ideology was trying to ruin India’s values, culture, history, and future.
He then contested from his hometown Begusarai in Bihar against the BJP’s Giriraj Singh of the BJP but failed to win.
Posters welcoming him to the party were put up outside the Congress office hours ahead of his switch.
A former president of JNU Students’ Union, Kumar was jailed over alleged “anti-national slogans” raised at an event in 2016 to mark the death anniversary of Parliament attack mastermind Afzal Guru.
The BJP, however, brushed aside the significance of Kanhaiya’s move. Saying that Begusarai had rejected him, Bihar Minister Mangal Pandey told media that Mr Kumar was only demonstrating his “political ambition”.
Kanhaiya Kumar has expelled himself from the CPI, party’s general secretary D Raja said moments after the former JNU leader quit the Left party and joined the Congress.
Now you can get latest stories from Indtoday on Telegram everyday. Click the link to subscribe. Click to follow Indtoday Facebook page and Twitter and on Instagram. For all the latest Hyderabad News updates