'Rahul’s ‘constant interference’ prompted me to quit Congress after 46 years', says SM Krishna

New Delhi, Feb 10: Senior BJP leader S.M. Krishna, former External Affairs Minister in Manmohan Singh's Cabinet, has claimed that it was due to Congress president Rahul Gandhi's constant interfering in governance during the UPA rule at the Centre had forced him to quit the party.

Addressing the BJP workers in Maddur, Krishna said that he resigned as Rahul had issued an order saying that leaders who reached 80 years should not hold any ministry.

He also blamed Gandhi scion of creating an unbearable environment in the party. Notably, he was external affairs minister from 2009 to 2014 during Manmohan Singh tenure.

"There was a suffocating environment in the party. I was handling the portfolio efficiently for three and a half years. But Rahul issued an order that leaders who reached 80 years should not hold any ministry. I was disappointed and resigned, he said.

One of the tallest leaders from Karnataka Congress, Krishna joined the BJP in 2017 after giving 46 years to the grand old party.

The former Karnataka CM claimed that Congress had no control over alliance parties and it was during this time that all the major scams like 2G spectrum, Commonwealth and coal were reported as such situations arise when there's no able leadership.

The 84-year-old was one of the close aides of Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv and held key ministerial positions at both the Centre and state. The party also appointed him as the 19th Governor of Maharashtra from 2004 to 2008. However, the veteran Congress leader left the party as he was sidelined.

Krishna continues to hold sway in the Mandya, Mysore and Tumkur region, which has remained a Vokkaliga stronghold.