Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister for Law and Justice Ashwani Kumar resigned from the party on Tuesday, 15 February.
In a letter addressed to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Kumar said that he can "best subserve larger national causes outside the Party-fold."
"I am accordingly quitting the party after a long association of 46 years and hope to proactively pursue public causes inspired by the idea of transformative leadership, based on the dignitarian promise of a liberal democracy envisioned by our freedom fighters," he said.
Speaking to ANI later, Kumar said that the decision was "painful" and that the way the internal processes of Congress are currently in place, he could no longer continue considering his "dignity and self-esteem."
"I thought my shoulders weren't strong enough to carry weight of indifference," he told ANI.
He further clarified that he has not quit politics or public service.
Kumar has thrice been a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab – 2002–2004, 2004, and 2010–2016.
He was the Union Law and Justice Minister in Manmohan Singh's Cabinet in 2012-2013.
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