Kamal Nath resigned on his own volition: Congress

NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath resigned "on his own volition" as party in-charge of Punjab, anguished over the "mischievous" campaign against him by opponents regarding the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the party said today.

Talking to media, Party's senior spokesman Anand Sharma dismissed suggestions that the Congress buckled under pressure to replace him and insisted that the "dishonest, perverse, and mischievous" narrative by opposition against him was done with an eye on elections.

Replying to questions, he, however, made it clear that Kamal Nath continues to be the AICC General Secretary in charge of Haryana. On Sunday, he was appointed to the post and given charge of both Punjab and Haryana. Punjab goes to polls next year.

Reports earlier quoting party's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala had it that Nath had resigned as General Secretary of the AICC.

Asked about the AAP's charges against Nath, Sharma said AAP has "no credibility and has an opportunistic agenda" and was targeting the Congress leader with an eye on polls...

"The demand to reopen cases is ridiculous because there is no case ever. You cannot reopen which does not exist", he said when asked about the AAP demand.

Claiming that Kamal Nath is the senior-most member of the Lok Sabha, who has also been party General Secretary and Union Minister, Sharma said that he decided to quit "out of his anguish" after being "condemned day in and day out despite being not guilty".