Saakhi Chadha

New Delhi, Delhi, India

Dr Ashwani Kumar, senior Congress leader and former Union Law Minister, resigned from the party on Tuesday after a 46-year-long association. ,This makes him the first senior UPA cabinet minister to leave the national party since its Lok Sabha election defeat in 2019. Kumar is the son of freedom fighter and Congress leader Prabodh Chandra. ,He had joined the Congress party in 1976 as a joint secretary of Gurdaspur district Congress committee. After first being appointed an office-bearer in the state Congress, he took over as the youngest Additional Solicitor General of India in 1990. ,Also Read: Former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar quits Congress,The 69-year-old was a minister in both UPA I and UPA II, first made a minister in 2006 by Manmohan Singh. He held several portfolios in the last government, including law, state and planning, science and technology, and earth sciences. ,He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2002 to 2016. Kumar served as the Minister of Law and Justice from October 2012 to May 2013 under the Manmohan Singh government. His stint as the law minister was cut short after allegations of his involvement in vetting the CBI's status report on the coal blocks allocation case emerged. The CBI conceded in an affidavit to the Supreme Court that the reports, in fact, had been shared with the law minister. Soon after, Congress asked Kumar to resign as the union minister. ,Also Read: RTI claims rent of Congress government properties, Sonia Gandhi's residence not paid,Kumar has been known to be a staunch supporter of party president Sonia Gandhi in the past. When 23 senior leaders wrote to Gandhi last year asking for sweeping changes in the party, he had said, Only a year ago (in 2019), party persons literally begged her to lead the party and she agreed as a call of duty. It is wrong to question her unifying leadership at this stage. I am of the view that under the present extraordinary circumstances, political adventurism cannot be the way forward, according to a report by The Indian Express. Also Read: Kanhaiya Kumar among Congress' list of high-profile candidates for Uttar Pradesh elections,Things have changed drastically today - evident with the Congress veteran's resignation. In a letter to Sonia Gandhi dated February 14, he wrote, Having given my thoughtful consideration to the matter, I have concluded that in the present circumstances and consistent with my dignity, I can best subserve larger national cause outside the party fold, reported news agencies.

{\"time\":1644914659656,\"strCount\":3118,\"blocks\":[{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Dr Ashwani Kumar, senior&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topic/congress\\\">Congress&nbsp;</a>leader and former Union&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/topic/lawministry\\\">Law Minister</a>, resigned from the party on Tuesday after a 46-year-long association.&nbsp;&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"This makes him the first senior UPA cabinet minister to leave the national party since its Lok Sabha election defeat in 2019.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Kumar is the son of freedom fighter and Congress leader Prabodh Chandra.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"He had joined the Congress party in 1976 as a joint secretary of Gurdaspur district Congress committee. After first being appointed an office-bearer in the state Congress, he took over as the youngest Additional Solicitor General of India in 1990.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/english/former-union-law-minister-ashwani-kumar-quits-congress-party\\\">Former Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar quits Congress</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The 69-year-old&nbsp; was a minister in both UPA I and UPA II, first made a minister in 2006 by Manmohan Singh. He held several portfolios in the last government, including law, state and planning, science and technology, and earth sciences.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2002 to 2016.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Kumar served as the Minister of Law and Justice from October 2012 to May 2013 under the Manmohan Singh government. His stint as the law minister was cut short after allegations of his involvement in vetting the CBI's status report on the coal blocks allocation case emerged.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"The CBI conceded in an affidavit to the Supreme Court that the reports, in fact, had been shared with the law minister. Soon after, Congress asked Kumar to resign as the union minister.&nbsp;\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/english/rti-claims-rent-of-congress-government-properties-sonia-gandhis-residence-not-paid\\\">RTI claims rent of Congress government properties, Sonia Gandhi's residence not paid</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Kumar has been known to be a staunch supporter of party president <a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/search/soniagandhi\\\">Sonia Gandhi</a> in the past. When 23 senior leaders wrote to Gandhi last year asking for sweeping changes in the party, he had said, \\\"Only a year ago (in 2019), party persons literally begged her to lead the party and she agreed as a call of duty. It is wrong to question her unifying leadership at this stage. I am of the view that under the present extraordinary circumstances, political adventurism cannot be the way forward,\\\" according to a report by The Indian Express.\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Also Read:&nbsp;<a href=\\\"https://opoyi.com/english/congress-announces-list-of-high-profile-candidates-for-uttar-pradesh-elections\\\">Kanhaiya Kumar among Congress' list of high-profile candidates for Uttar Pradesh elections</a>\"}},{\"type\":\"paragraph\",\"data\":{\"text\":\"Things have changed drastically today - evident with the Congress veteran's resignation. In a letter to Sonia Gandhi dated February 14, he wrote, \\\"Having given my thoughtful consideration to the matter, I have concluded that in the present circumstances and consistent with my dignity, I can best subserve larger national cause outside the party fold,\\\" reported news agencies.&nbsp;&nbsp;\"}}]}

<ul>
 <li>Ashwani Kumar, senior Congress leader and former union minister resigned from the party&nbsp;</li>
 <li>He is the son of freedom fighter and Congress leader Prabodh Chandra</li>
 <li>Kumar served as the Minister of Law and Justice from October 2012 to May 2013</li>
</ul>

#lawmnistry

Who is Ashwani Kumar?