Milind Deora interview: ‘Congress just asked me not to quit on the day of Rahul Yatra’s launch. It was simply ridiculous’

A day after quitting the Congress party and joining the Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, former Union minister and South Mumbai MP Milind Deora remains bitter with his former party with which his family had a 55-year-long relationship. In an interview with The Indian Express, Deora, 47, who had been once part of Rahul Gandhi’s “young brigade”, claims that the grand old party has lost its way and become “unrecognisable” now. Excerpts:

Q: Did anyone from the Congress leadership call you in order to stop you from quitting the party?
No. Nobody. The only call I received was from a senior party leader whom I am not going to name. He requested me not to do it on the day of the launch of (Rahul Gandhi’s) Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. It was simply ridiculous. It only reinforced my belief that I was doing the right thing.

Q: Did you expect any communication from Rahul Gandhi, since you were known as a member of Team Rahul in the past?
Again, I don’t want to get into specifics. I had clearly told different section of Congress leaders that I was not happy with the way things were going and party was surrendering in front of the allies. The Family (Gandhi family) had no interest in wanting to do this (Maha Vikas Aghadi ) alliance in the first place (in 2019) and I know Congress leaders’ feeling against the UBT (Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena faction).

Q: Don’t you think it is a contradiction to join a party (Shinde Sena) against which you had reservations?
My whole politics is about wanting to serve and to do something good for the city (Mumbai) and the country. I am not in the politics of abusing people, and opposing for the sake of it. I have always given constructive suggestions, regardless of who is in power. I cannot continue