Radhika Khera, ex prominent leader of the Chhattisgarh Congress, tendered her resignation from the party, citing disrespect from the state unit. In a statement on Monday, she alleged that her differences with the party leadership stemmed from her refusal to align with what she described as the “anti-Hindu ideology” of the party.
Addressing the media, Khera also made startling claims regarding her experiences during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Rahul Gandhi. She asserted that the media chairman of Chhattisgarh Congress, Sushil Anand Shukha, offered her alcohol and, along with several party workers, repeatedly disturbed her while in an intoxicated state. Despite bringing the issue to the attention of Sachin Pilot and Jairam Ramesh, Khera stated that no action was taken.
She further alleged that her sidelining within the party was a consequence of her refusal to adhere to the purported anti-Hindu stance of the party.
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What Happened With Radhika Khera ?
Speaking with the media, Radhika reveald her truth for why was her resignition abrupt. She said, “In the Congress headquarters in Raipur, for any leader, for any politician, the party’s headquarters is like a temple, and if we are safest anywhere, it is in that headquarters. But on the 30th, at 6 p.m., this incident occurred when I went to talk to Shushil Anand Shukla ji. He started being disrespectful to me and started abusing me with foul language. Seeing this behavior, I shouted and said to bring the state’s general secretary from outside, but no one moved. When I took out my phone to record them, Shushil Anand Shukla signaled, and there were two more people in that room, who stepped forward to shut the door. The room remained closed for about a minute, three people got up and came towards me, I kept screaming and shouting, but no one helped me.”
Taking an emotional pause, she added, “With great difficulty, I pushed my way out and came downstairs running, went straight to the general secretary’s chamber, and kept conveying everyone what happened to me, but no one stood up, not even the chief of the Congress office. No one called that person, no one asked what happened, and my situation became a spectacle.”
“After that, I drank some water and called Sachin Pilot ji first, but as always, he was never available. If you want to talk to someone there, Sachin ji doesn’t talk, only his PA talks. His PA picked up the phone and said that we are in the car and heading towards Surguja. Then I talked to Sachin ji for a minute, and then he said to remain completely silent, it’s election time, just stay quiet. He hung up the phone,” Radhika added.
Further Khera added, “I made another call to Bhupesh Baghel ji, he did not answer the call, I made a third call to Pawan Khera ji, he was probably in a meeting, he also did not answer the call either. In the fourth call, I called Jairam Ramesh ji, he also did not pick up the phone.
I made the next call to Vinod Verma ji. I spoke to him, and then I was told from there to coordinate, that’s when I said that sir, take some action against the assault that happened to me. After that, I talked to Pawan Khera ji, that’s when I was told that what I was doing is wrong, raising your voice is wrong. After that, Bhupesh Baghel ji called me back, and when I told him what all happened to me, and I said that I am leaving politics, then I was told not to leave politics but to leave Chhattisgarh. And then I understood how this was done to me like a conspiracy.”
#WATCH | Delhi: On her resignation from the Congress party, Radhika Khera says “On 30th April, when I went to talk to media chairman of Chhattisgarh Congress- Sushil Anand Shukha, but he started misbehaving with me and abusing me. I screamed a lot. I also shouted and told people… pic.twitter.com/yhGJbHIXMA
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2024
In her resignation missive addressed to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday, Khera made a resolute pledge to shine a light on individuals afflicted by what she deemed a “male chauvinistic mentality” entrenched within the party’s ranks.
She disclosed facing internal censure for her visit to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and her desire to catch a glimpse of the revered Ram Lalla idol. Expressing her reverence for Ayodhya, the sacred birthplace of Lord Ram, she articulated her astonishment at encountering vehement opposition for her pilgrimage.
“After more than 22 years of dedicated service to the party, commencing from NSUI to the Congress’s media department, it was disheartening to face such vehement backlash merely for expressing my support for Ram in Ayodhya,” she lamented.
Earlier in the week, a widely circulated video purportedly featuring AICC spokesperson Radhika Khera cited “insult” as the reason behind her resignation. While some party insiders attributed the incident to a disagreement between her and a senior party functionary.
#WATCH | Delhi: On her resignation from the Congress party, Radhika Khera says “I have asking for time for 3 years from Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra but none of them met me. I was always sent from one office to the other. Even during the Nyay Yatra, Rahul Gandhi did not… pic.twitter.com/E0Xt8SSpFo
— ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2024
On Sunday, Khera tendered her resignation from the party, asserting that the backlash she faced for her pilgrimage to the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya contributed to a lack of fairness in addressing an incident at the Chhattisgarh Congress office. Furthermore, she alleged that despite her repeated notifications to the party’s senior leadership, she was denied the justice she sought.
