New Delhi, Jun 13 (IANS): Congress in charge of Jharkhand, and former Union Minister, R.P.N. Singh said that he was upset over comments calling him "privileged" and hit back at critics, saying that he has earned his position through hard work, has been loyal to the party all these days and he is not leaving it.

"Stunned to read ill informed comments on privilege, silver spoon etc. Won 3 MLA elections,was UP Youth Congress chief,sent to jail for farmers agitation,then became MP Made In charge of Jharkhand where party got highest ever tally. Entitled or hard work & commitment for 30 years?" he said in a tweet.

A scion of the erstwhile ruling family of Padrauna in UP and son of a Union Minister, Singh was first elected MLA in 1996 and after three terms, was elected to the Lok Sabha.

The issue came to fore after fellow UP leader Jitin Prasada left Congress to join the BJP and many people wrote comments on Congress' young leaders including R.P.N. Singh.

Congress had attacked Prasada for leaving the party, terming him opportunist. They said that the party gave him whatever it could, but he chose to walk away.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who had called for reforms in the party as part of the 'G23' group, said: "The question is -- will he get 'prasada' from BJP or is he just a 'catch' for UP elections? In such deals if 'ideology' doesn't matter, changeover is easy."

Another leader M. Veerappa Moily, who was a signatory to the letter, said that Prasada did not have ideological commitment and the party should look at this aspect also before promoting such persons.