Will make India 'Pappu free' – sacked Meerut Congress leader's new pledge

New Delhi: A local Congress leader from Meerut, who was earlier suspended from all party posts for making derogatory remarks on Rahul Gandhi, has now taken a new pledge – to make India 'Pappu' free.

Vinay Pradhan, the party's Meerut district president, had recently referred to Rahul Gandhi as "Pappu" in a WhatsApp message sent to the local leaders, which backfired.

Pradhan had resigned on Wednesday.

In his defence, Pradhan had told the party high command that he had mentioned "Pappu" in a context to highlight achievements of the Congress vice-president and his straightforwardness. 

However, he said that the party appears to be governed by sycophancy. 

"Any reference to the Gandhi family is deemed here as blasphemy, where there is no explanation," he said.

Pradhan belongs to a Gujjar family owing alliance to the Congress. 

He has been an office-bearer of the party for the past 22 years in various capacities, looking after states of Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat. 

"I have given my entire life to the party. They should have atleast sought an explanation or issued a show-cause notice to hear my side of story or should have seen the message that I had posted on the WhatsApp group," he was quoted as saying by DNA.

Taking a dif at the party, Pradhan said PM Narendra Modi's dream of making India 'Congress free' is being fulfilled by none other but by Rahul Gandhi himself. 

"And going by Pappu's track record, there is no reason to believe that party will win any election. Pappu will break his own record of losing more than 27 elections in a row," he added.