Barkha Singh quits party post, blames Rahul and Maken

New Delhi, April 20 (IANS) In a setback to the Delhi Congress ahead of the civic polls here, Barkha Singh on Thursday quit as chief of the women's wing. She also hit out at Vice President Rahul Gandhi and the party's Delhi unit chief Ajay Maken.

The former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief said: "Congress party under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and Ajay Maken have only used the issue of empowerment of women and women security to gather votes."

"The issue means nothing to them."

Singh said: "In the current organisation where I myself am unsafe, how will I empower women in that organisation. That is why I hereby resign from the post of President of Delhi Mahila Congress."

Singh even quoted other senior party leaders questioning her party's Vice President's capabilities, saying "Rahul Gandhi is unfit to lead the party".

"The one pertinent question we need to ask today is why is Rahul Gandhi in hiding? Why is he scared of meeting his own party members?" Singh said in a statement.

Several senior leaders have quit the party because of that very reason, she said.

"Rahul Gandhi is reluctant to address issues that exist within the organisation. Why does Rahul Gandhi shy away from meeting party leaders who ask him questions," she said.

She further added: "He (Rahul) is only interested in meeting sycophants and not leaders who reason, question and ask."

Describing herself as a loyal soldier of the Congress, she said she will continue to remain that.