Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Popular actress-turned politician from Tamil Nadu Khushbu Sundar on Monday resigned from the Congress, moments after the party had dropped her as its spokesperson.
In her resignation letter to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Khushbu accused few congress leaders, who have "no connectivity with ground reality" or public recognition, of "dictating terms."
People like her who are working for the party sincerely are pushed and suppressed, she added.
"After a long and thorough thought process over time, I've decided to end my association with the party," read the letter.
Earlier in the day, the Congress had officially dropped the popular actress-turned-politician as its spokesperson amid speculations of her joining the BJP.
"Smt. Khushbu Sundar is hereby dropped as AICC Spokesperson with immediate effect," Pranav Jha, AICC Secretary In-charge of Communications, said in an official release today.
Amid speculation over her joining the saffron party since late last evening, the actor-turned-politician took flight from Chennai to New Delhi. She is slated to enter the saffron ranks in the presence of BJP national president JPNadda.
Reacting to the development, TNCC President KS Alagiri described her desertion as of no consequence. "It is of no consequence. The party suffer no loss because of Kushboo leaving the party," he told reporters at Tiruvannamalai.
Echoing similar views, TNCC Spokesperson A Gopanna said the actor was treated as such and not as a leader by the rank and file. "She was an actor who had joined the party. She was never a leader among the cadre," he quipped.
Meanwhile, elated at the versatile actor embracing the saffron party, BJP sources said that besides Kushbu, a few other high profile individuals from Tamil Nadu would be joining the party.
BJP has intensified its work in Tamilnadu as the state's legislative assembly elections are approaching.
A cryptic tweet from the actress-politician on October 10 had fuelled speculations of her switching sides.
-
Many see a change in me. Well as you age, you evolve n grow, learn n unlearn, perceptions change, likes n dislikes too, thoughts n ideas take a new shape, dreams are new, you understand the difference between like n love, between right n wrong. Change is inevitable. Happy eve ❤️ pic.twitter.com/on1B4bHx30
— KhushbuSundar ❤️ (@khushsundar) October 10, 2020 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
">Many see a change in me. Well as you age, you evolve n grow, learn n unlearn, perceptions change, likes n dislikes too, thoughts n ideas take a new shape, dreams are new, you understand the difference between like n love, between right n wrong. Change is inevitable. Happy eve ❤️ pic.twitter.com/on1B4bHx30
— KhushbuSundar ❤️ (@khushsundar) October 10, 2020Many see a change in me. Well as you age, you evolve n grow, learn n unlearn, perceptions change, likes n dislikes too, thoughts n ideas take a new shape, dreams are new, you understand the difference between like n love, between right n wrong. Change is inevitable. Happy eve ❤️ pic.twitter.com/on1B4bHx30
— KhushbuSundar ❤️ (@khushsundar) October 10, 2020
"Many see a change in me. Well as you age, you evolve n grow, learn n unlearn, perceptions change, likes n dislikes too, thoughts n ideas take a new shape, dreams are new, you understand the difference between like n love, between right n wrong. Change is inevitable," she wrote in the tweet.
Read: Actor-politician Khushbu denies move to BJP, says views on NEP personal
Earlier in July, Khushbu had welcomed the Centre's new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and apologised to party leader Rahul Gandhi for her differing stand from that of the party, with her statement setting off a Twitter buzz.
While the actor-politician insisted that she "rather speak the fact than be a head-nodding robot or a puppet", Congress state unit hit out at her for airing her views in the open, saying it was "indiscipline" and that the grand old party was ready to discuss "any controversial" matters in its forums.
However, as speculation mounted that the actor could quit Congress and join its arch-rival BJP following her welcoming NEP 2020, Sundar clarified "I am not moving to" the saffron party.
She also tweeted for the speedy recovery of Home Minister Amit Shah when he was hospitalised.
Kushbu, a vocal critic of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was known for her scathing attacks on the saffron party. In 2018 she changed her twitter user name to 'khushbusundar..and it's NAKHAT KHAN for the BJP..' after facing attacks from the alleged BJP troll army.
Talks of Kushboo Sundar joining BJP were doing the rounds for the last few months, yet she stoutly denied them as mere rumours and accused IT teams of spreading rumours against her.
To scotch such rumours, Kushbu even participated in the recent protest by Congress party condemning the Hathras Rape incident and the UP police manhandling party MP Rahul Gandhi. She was also present at the party headquarters here during the visit of AICC in-charge of Tamil Nadu, Dinesh Gundu Rao.
Read: Atrocities against women increasing across nation: Anupama Soni
