As the Lok Sabha elections progress, Radhika Khera, Congress' national media coordinator, tendered her resignation from the party alleging that she was castigated for visiting the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and that no one stood by her side when she had an altercation with a senior leader over the issue.
The controversy escalated when reports emerged of a heated exchange between Khera and Sushil Anand Shukla, the Chhattisgarh communication department in-charge, just a day before Pawan Khera, a senior Congress leader, visited the state. This altercation, as per sources, was a tipping point in Khera's decision to step down.
In her resignation letter addressed to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Khera expressed her dismay over the lack of support from the party leadership, despite her 22 years of dedicated service.
She emphasized the importance of religious sentiments, particularly regarding the significance of the Ram Temple for Hindus, but lamented facing opposition within the party for her visit.
Reacting to Khera's resignation, Chhattisgarh Congress Committee chief Deepak Baij downplayed the incident, attributing it to longstanding interpersonal issues between Khera and Shukla. Baij dismissed Khera's claims of religious bias, asserting that the resignation stemmed from a clash of egos rather than any ideological differences.