In a blow to the Congress, former Environment Minister Jayanathi Natarajan, who quit the party on Friday, mounted a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, claiming that she followed his directions on green nod to projects but was “vilified, humiliated and sidelined” by the central leadership.
A long-time Congress loyalist, Natarajan said she is ready to face probe into environmental clearance accorded by her during her stint as minister in the UPA government and has no plans to join any other political party after “such bitter experiences”.
“I have only followed the party line and rule book on all environment issues. To protect the forest rights of people and the rights of tribals in cases like Vedanata. There was no wrongdoing on my part,” she asserted at a hurriedly called press conference here.
Natrajan said she cannot continue in the “suffocating atmosphere” in the party.
Virtually opening a can of worms, she accused Rahul’s office of planting stories to sully her reputation after she had resigned as Environment Minister on the direction of Sonia Gandhi.
Specific inputs
“Specific inputs were received from the office of Rahul Gandhi based on the representation by NGOs raising environment concerns on certain large projects,” she said, suggesting that the Rahul had interfered in the decision-making process.
She also said that as a minister in UPA-II, she did not want to attack Narendra Modi on the snoopgate issue but was told that the party at the highest level wanted her to do so. “I intend to think on my life and future. I have no plans to join any other party,” she declared when asked about her future political plans.
Natarajan has also quit as a trustee of the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress.