Barkha Singh steps down as Delhi Mahila Cong chief; takes potshots at Rahul, Maken

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. Singh also hit out at party 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."

If it were not enough that several Congress leaders are unhappy with the party's Delhi hierarchy over distribution of tickets for the MCD polls, even those in the old guard of Congress have alleged "humiliation" from the state leadership, saying that even their phone calls were not answered.

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.