Senior Congress leader Manish Tewari on Monday termed former Congress MP Sushmita Dev’s resignation from the party as “most unfortunate” and demanded a “better” explanation considering her long association with the party and party colleagues.

“If this is true it is most unfortunate. Why @sushmitadevinc ? Your erstwhile colleagues & friends especially the person who was National President of @nsui when you contested your first @DUSUofficial elections back in 1991 deserve a better explanation than this laconic letter?” Tewari tweeted.

Congress leader Kapil Sibal pointed towards a tiff within the party stating that “the party moves on with eyes wide shut,” after Dev submitted her resignation in an open letter to party interim President Sonia Gandhi on Sunday.
“Sushmita Dev resigns from primary membership of our Party. While young leaders leave we ‘oldies’ are blamed for our efforts to strengthen it. The Party moves on with: Eyes Wide Shut,” he tweeted.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Assam’s Silchar Dr Rajdeep Roy said that Dev is not in touch with any senior leaders of BJP and will not be joining the party.

“She is not joining BJP. She is not in touch with senior leaders of BJP is what I have learned from our leaders in the state,” he said.

Dr Roy further stated that Dev’s resignation is her personal call. “I have a fairly good relationship with Sushmita for a decade. Her resignation has come as a surprise to me as her family has served Congress for four generations. She will be in public life and will decide what to do,” he added.

Hitting out at Congress, the BJP MP said that it has “given away” the place of a “good” Opposition.

“As far as Congress is concerned it has no life left in it, they do not introspect. However, as we say that there should be a good opposition but that place has also been given away by Congress. I have spoken to few people about it, many expressed shock because her family is in Congress for four generations. It has come as a shocker,” said Dr Roy.
Sushmita Dev in her letter wrote that she will cherish the three-decade-long association with the party and expressed gratitude towards all its leaders, members and workers. (ANI)