After announcing her resignation from the Congress and submitting a bomb of a letter in which she launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, former environment minister and Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natrajan put forward her feelings during a press conference.
Senior Congress leader and former environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan at the press conference.
Here’s what she said:
- I come from a family which has Congress blood flowing in her veins. It is a way of life for us. It is an extremely anguished moment that it has come to a situation where I have to rethink my association with the Congress
- Congress now is no longer the party I joined, time to rethink my 30-year long association
- Without a single blemish I have served the party, I served country and the party to the best of my capabilities
- It was my duty to make sure that every single step I took, no matter how popular/unpopular was to preserve environment
- I received several requests, memorandums from Cong VP. I was asked by his office to protect, preserve environment
- Many of my colleagues in the Cabinet protested strongly against the decision. I had to face anger and wrath of Cabinet members many times, but I stood by the decisions as I took Rahul’s word as that based on party line
- I was totally sidelined by the national high command, had no problem with the state party
- Some large projects were blocked by me as they could harm the environment as per party line. All this made me stall projects -- Vedanta, Niyamgiri; in which Rahul Gandhi told tribals he will be their sipahi, Nirma project
- Rahul spoke against my decisions in a FICCI conference. I called him up ask why he said it because all my decisions were based on the his directives. Even a murderer is heard, is what I told him, but Rahul said he will talk to me later
- Till date, no one from the high command -- Rahul or Sonia Gandhi -- has replied to my letters or answered my questions
- I have not done anything wrong. If I am wrong hang me, but prove it
- Cannot survive in a suffocating environment. I hereby resign from the primary membership of the Congress party, will send my resignation soon
- Want to uphold the legacy of my family, my integrity, I only did the right thing for my country, committed no wrongdoing
