The Congress Disciplinary Committee suggested on Tuesday that former Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Sunil Jakhar be suspended for two years from the party. The disciplinary committee also recommended the removal of Kerala leader K V Thomas from all party positions for anti-party activities.
The Ak Antony led-committee also recommended the suspension of five party MLAs from Meghalaya who had supported the state’s ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) while ignoring party directives.
Sources :
— Supriya Bhardwaj (@Supriya23bh) April 26, 2022
Congress President Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s decision after Disciplinary Committee sends recommendations about Mr KV Thomas, Mr Sunil Jhakar
Mr Jhakar removed from all party positions
Mr Thomas removed from state political affairs committee & executive committee of KPCC pic.twitter.com/BX9EOdAXrT
According to sources, the committee has made its recommendations to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, who will take necessary action soon.
The five-member committee was chaired by senior party leader A K Antony, other panel members included Tariq Anwar, JP Aggarwal, and G Parameswar. Ambika Soni was not in attendance for the meeting.
The panel’s proposal to suspend Jakhar came after Punjab AICC in-charge Harish Chaudhary wrote to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, drawing her attention to some of Jakhar’s recent remarks. Sonia Gandhi then referred Chaudhary’s letter to the Antony-led disciplinary action committee.
“You have made derogatory statements against Congress leaders and also attributed motives to the leadership of thinking on communal lines while deciding the leadership of CLP Punjab,” Tariq Anwar, member secretary of the disciplinary action committee, said in a show-cause notice issued in response to Chaudhary’s letter.
The notice further stated that Jhakar’s remarks were also found to be a blatant violation of the party’s ethos. “The committee deliberated and decided to give you an opportunity to explain your action and decided to issue (a) show cause notice (to you on) why action should not be taken as per the Party Constitution XIX(f)(5),” the notice read.
Soon after the recommendations of the Congress disciplinary panel, Jakhar wished his party “good luck” while refusing to share his own plans.
“I wish the Congress good luck,” Jakhar said when reporters sought his reaction to the panel’s recommendation. He refused to comment when asked what would be his next step.
Jakhar had stated ahead of the Congress disciplinary committee meeting that those who still have a conscience would be punished.
“Aaj, sar kalam honge unke jinme abhi zameer baaki hai. (Today, those with a conscience will be beheaded). (My apologies to Javed Akhtar Saheb),” Jakhar said in a tweet.
After Congress lost the state to the AAP, Jakhar slammed former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, calling him a liability for the party and claiming that the party decided against his own candidature as chief minister since he is a Hindu.
The remark had come after the Congress party suffered a humiliating defeat in the Punjab assembly polls. Out of the 117 seats, it managed to win a meager 18 seats, with CM Channi losing from both the seats he contested. He lost to AAP’s Labh Singh Ugoke in Bhadaur, in Chamkaur Sahib he was defeated by AAP candidate Charanjit Singh.
Thomas, a former union minister and a senior leader from Kerala, had attended a CPI(M) seminar in the state on April 9 against the wishes of the party, and local state leaders had sought action against him.
The five Congress MLAs in Meghalaya had joined the state’s BJP-backed ruling alliance, for which they were served with a show-cause notice and asked to explain their actions.
According to them, the state unit of Congress had also sought strict action against the MLAs for supporting a BJP government in the state.
The legislators joined the MDA in February, bringing the two old enemies together in a ruling alliance and enraged Congress leaders.
The disciplinary panel had served Jakhar, Thomas, and the five MLAs with a show-cause notice, asking them to explain why action should not be taken against them for their activities.
