How did the Congress react to Jitin Prasada's exit: Who said what

NEW DELHI: A day after Jitin Prasada left the party, the Congress leaders of the G-23 group of which Jitin Prasada was a part, attacked him and said that ideological commitment is more important in politics.
After switching to BJP, Prasada said the decision was not easy for him but he reached it after talking to people and listening to his conscience.
"I have a three-generation long connection with Congress. So, this was not an easy decision. With a lot of thinking, conversations with people and listening to the voice of my conscience, I did this," he said.
Prasada said that in the current situation BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership is the most capable, and added, "For the future generation too, this party will prove to be useful".
However, Congress did not take his switch lightly and called an opportunist adding that Congress gave him whatever it could, but he chose to walk away.
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that if 'ideology' doesn't matter, changing political party is easy. Sibal also said that he can never think of joining the BJP, "that can only happen over my dead body".

He, however, said that the Congress party needs reforms and he will continue to raise the issues within the party. Sibal said he will never join the BJP as he has opposed the party's ideology.

Another G023 leader who was a signatory to the letter, M Veerappa Moily said that Prasada did not have the ideological commitment and the party should look at this also before promoting such persons.

Moily said the Uttar Pradesh leader's ideological commitment was suspect from the beginning and the party winning zero seats in West Bengal under his charge showed that he was incompetent.
Moily also said the top leadership should make a proper assessment of leaders in the party, asserting that "one cannot make people leaders when they do not deserve it". The Congress has to rethink and re-strategise some of these things and then only the party can come up, Moily said.

Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat termed Prasada's exit as a "big slap for me".
Rawat, a senior Congress leader, said, "It is sad and disheartening. I am surprised that he called Congress 'a regional party' and joined the party against which his family fought."
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Pradip Bhattacharya called Prasada's switch a "big mistake" and said the former union minister will regret it.
Bhattacharya said, "He was associated with the party for three generations. So why did he suddenly change? He should have been a little patient. His personal interest would have been the reason behind his sudden decision."
"Why did Jitin Prasada do such a thing, I do not know? He was in-charge of our state, campaigned in Bengal at the time of elections, and asked everyone to work against BJP. He also gave slogans, speeches against the BJP and now he joined the BJP today. I do not understand what happened," he added.

Rebel Congress MLA Aditi Singh described former Union minister Prasada's exit from the party as a 'great loss' for Congress and said his future is now secure in the BJP.
Stating that the Congress has become the "party of a family", she said that it is time for the Congress to introspect why such big names like Jyotiraditya Scindia and now Jitin Prasada left the party.

"Jitin Prasada has been a great leader. As a youth leader, he enjoyed popularity among the youth. He is a well-educated and well-mannered leader. Now that he has joined the BJP, his future is secure," said the Raebareli MLA.
Congress chief DK Shivakumar took a dig at Prasada and said it is Congress and Nehru-Gandhi family that gave him recognition.
"The Congress Party has built Jitin Prasada. It is the Congress party and the Nehru-Gandhi family that gave him recognition. If he is recognized today, it is only because of the Congress party. He should not forget this," Shivakumar told ANI.
Does Jitin Prasada's exit matter?
Prasada, a former MP from Uttar Pradesh's Dharahura, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal at the party headquarters on June 9.
Prasada belongs to a political family in Uttar Pradesh which worked in Congress for decades.
He joined the BJP ahead of assembly polls early next year and his decision is being seen as a jolt to the Congress which was trying to revive itself in the crucial state under the guidance of party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
Prasada was among the young frontline leaders of the Congress, especially in Uttar Pradesh and his defection to the BJP camp is the latest in a long saga of turncoats which started ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Prasada follows in the footsteps of his former Congress colleagues Jyotiraditya Scindia, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Haryana heavyweights Birender Singh and Rao Inderjit Singh.
These leaders have left behind a major vacuum in the Congress, having served as ministers in the erstwhile UPA government and having been part of the inner circle of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi.
(With inputs from agencies)