In a big blow to the Congress, longtime loyalist Jayanthi Natarajan has decided to quit the party. In further embarassment for the party, the former union minister in United Progress Alliance government has questioned party Vice President Rahul Gandhi's leadership in a letter to party President Sonia Gandhi.

Natarajan said she received "specific requests" from Rahul Gandhi on environmental clearances. She even mentioned that out that people from Rahul Gandhi's office had planted stories over her resignation.

"Over the last 11 months, I have suffered the most excruciating mental agony, and have been continuously attacked, wrongly vilified and defamed in the media, and exposed to every possible humiliation in public life. From December 20, 2013, until now, I have still not been told by you, why I was asked to resign from the Council of Ministers, nor have I ever been asked or given an opportunity to explain, if indeed I had committed any wrongdoing. I received information that persons from the office of Shri Rahul Gandhi were calling the media and planting stories that my resignation was NOT for party work," she said in the letter.

Source: IBN