‘Good luck and goodbye Congress’: Sunil Jakhar quits via Facebook live

Notably, the disciplinary action committee of the Congress had last month issued a show-cause notice to him for “not toeing the party line”. The former chief of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee made his decision to part ways with the party public during a Facebook live video. In the course of the video, he targeted the party leadership, and especially Ambika Soni. He also criticised the way he was served the show-cause notice.

However, Jakhar has not formally responded to the notice.

Describing his Facebook live video as a “parting gift” to the Congress, Jakhar wrapped up his address by saying “good luck and goodbye Congress”.

Earlier in the address, the three-time MLA and one-time MP hit out at Soni and accused her of creating the narrative that Punjab should not have a Hindu chief minister.

Jakhar said Soni has put a “blot on Punjab, Sikhs and Sikhi and defamed and insulted Hindus.” “Is there any point that such leaders remain in the Congress?” he added.

Jakhar also lashed out at former Punjab affairs in-charge of party Harish Rawat. He termed Rawat’s defeat in Uttarakhand elections as “divine justice”. He also slammed present Congress Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Chaudhary for his purported remarks blaming him (Jakhar) for the party’s defeat in other states. Jakhar asked why he was not being thrown out of the party if he were responsible for the Congress’s defeats.

He said the Congress high command needed to distinguish between friends and foes and if they cannot do that they should at least differentiate between assets and liabilities.

Jakhar said instead of organising a Chintan Shivir, the Congress needed to hold a ‘chinta shivir’.

Jakhar said his ties with the Congress got severed the day he was served the show-cause notice, but his association of five decades with the party was holding him back.

He mocked the party’s disciplinary action by which he was removed from all party posts. He said that he did not hold any post in the party at the time the decision was made. “This is what ails the Congress party,” he added.

Hours before his address, Jakhar had removed all references to the Congress in his social media accounts.