New Delhi, Feb 15 (TIWN) Ahead of the Assembly polls in Punjab, the Congress suffered a big setback on Tuesday as former Law Minister Ashwani Kumar quit the party.

"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 added.

"While paying my respectful regards, I thank you for the consideration extended to me in the past and wish you a good health in the years ahead," he said in his resignation letter.  Ashwani Kumar had served as the Minister of Law and Justice and a Minister of State in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and Ministry of Commerce and Industry during the Congress-led UPA. He was appointed one of the Additional Solicitor Generals of India in 1991.