Lovely joining BJP 'betrayal' of Congress: Dikshit

Leaving the Congress when its days are not "as pleasant" is a "betrayal", former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said after the party's former Delhi unit chief Arvinder Singh Lovely joined the BJP.

Terming it as "sad", Dikshit said Lovely got political "honour and respect" from the grand old party and was not only a minister but also the party's Delhi chief.

"Its a sad news. He got political honour and respect from Congress and was not only a minister but was also made Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) president.

"He has left Congress when its days are not as pleasant as they used to be once. I think this a betrayal," Dikshit told a news channel.

Her remarks come after the former Delhi Congress president joined the BJP today lashing out at the leadership of his former party, which he said has "died" under them.

A key minister in the erstwhile Dikshit government in Delhi, Lovely raked up allegations of bribery in ticket distribution for the MCD polls by the Congress and claimed after meeting BJP chief Amit Shah that many senior Congress leaders are feeling "suffocated" as the party is no longer what it used to be.

Lovely, who hails from the Sikh community, joined the saffron party along with Delhi Youth Congress chief Amit Malik.

"The child is dead. Congress is finished," he told reporters, expressing his unhappiness with its leadership, including party vice president Rahul Gandhi.

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)