Former Haryana minister Captain Ajay Singh Yadav addresses a press conference, in New Delhi.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Congress leader captain (retd) Ajay Singh Yadav on Monday raised concerns about under-representation of OBCs in the party's Haryana unit and top bodies such as the CWC, while also lashing out at the AICC in-charge of state Deepak Babaria over the poor assembly poll showing.
Yadav, who took a U-turn after resigning, stated he would remain a Congressman "till his last breath", said he had an "offer" from the BJP post-assembly polls but he did not take it as he his family has had a 70-years-old relationship with the Congress.
"I am not going to the BJP while many have gone. I had an offer after polls but I did not go. I have spent my entire life here. My son is a secretary (in the AICC). We have 70 years of ties with the party. I have worked with Rajiv ji, Sonia ji and was given respect. She made me CLP, minister. So, one has to respect that," he said told a press conference here.
Yadav, whose son Chiranjeev Rao lost from Rewari in the recently concluded Haryana Assembly polls, said the party could not effectively micro manage the polls "(AICC Harayan in-charge) Babaria ji was in the hospital. Now he is offering resignation, why didn't he do it earlier. If he was unwell, he should have resigned. Our PCC chief was himself busy fighting an election," the chairman of the Congress OBC department said.
The Congress leader flagged under-representation of OBC leaders in the party's forums such as the Congress Working Committee and the Central Election Committee.
In Jammu and Kashmir elections, OBC people were not given ticket and in Haryana also, they did not get the kind of importance that they should have.
He said his post of the chairman of the OBC department is an "ornamental" one.
"Be it CWC, CEC, there is hardly representation from the OBC department, backward classes, there are just SCs and Jats for representation. I had raised the issue of caste census which was not being properly implemented in the Congress ruled states, there is also the issue of raising of creamy layer limit, proper representation in higher education," he said.
"In Haryana if you see OBCs have more representation in the BJP. Rao Inderjit Singh is an OBC, Bhupinder Yadav is an OBC, Krishan Pal Gurjar is an OBC, they are all Union ministers....They have Punjabi in Manohar Lal Khattar. The social engineering has not been done in the Haryana Congress party where the OBCs are being under-represented," Yadav said.
"I have to point out these things, this is my duty. Like in UP, Bihar, Punjab where CLP and chief are not from the OBC community," he said.
Presently my resignation has not been accepted, if it is accepted or not is upto the party to decide, he said.
Yadav said he has taken back his resignation and will now work accordingly.
He also said leaders rejected by the AAP and the BJP were being encouraged in the Congress by some leaders.
On Saturday, Yadav had said he was "prevailed upon" by his son and former MLA Chiranjeev Rao to "forget the past" and work for the party.
Yadav quit the party on Thursday alleging shabby treatment after Sonia Gandhi left the post of party president. He also resigned as the chairman of the All India Congress Committee's Other Backward Classes (OBC) Department.
In a series of posts on X, the 65-year-old leader said he has served the Congress for 38 years and gave his best to the party. He said his family has had an "association of more than 70 years" with the Nehru-Gandhi clan.
"I worked with my leader late Rajiv Gandhi ji and Sonia Gandhi and cannot forget their affection towards me... I am a Congressman since my birth and would remain a Congressman till my last breath," said Yadav.
"I was upset that my hard work done for the OBC department was not being appreciated by the high command and some harsh words made me take this drastic step. But with a cool mind I have decided to strengthen the Congress party, especially my mentor and leader Sonia Gandhi ji," he said in another post.