The Congress Disciplinary Committee on Tuesday recommended the suspension of its former Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar for two years and the removal of Kerala leader K V Thomas from all party positions for anti-party activities, sources said. The panel has also recommended that Jakhar be removed from all party posts.
The disciplinary committee of the Congress, which met here this morning, also recommended the suspension of five party MLAs in Meghalaya, who had supported the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) in the state, while defying the party's directives. The committee has given its recommendations to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who will take necessary action soon, the sources pointed out.
The five-member committee is chaired by senior party leader A K Antony and Tuesday's meeting was attended by panel members Tariq Anwar, J P Aggarwal and G Parameswar, besides Antony. Ambika Soni was not present during the meeting. Soon after the Congress disciplinary panel's recommendations, Jakhar wished his party "good luck" while refusing to reveal 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. Ahead of the Congress disciplinary committee meeting, Jakhar had said those who still have a conscience will 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.
Jakhar had criticized former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and termed him a liability for the party after the Congress lost to the AAP in the state. He has also been critical of the party leadership in the run-up to assembly elections, which the Congress lost to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Thomas, a former union minister and senior leader from Kerala, had attended a seminar organized by the CPI(M) on April 9 in the state against the party's wishes and local state leaders had been seeking action against him.
Sources said the five Congress MLAs in Meghalaya had joined the BJP-backed ruling alliance in the state, for which a show-cause notice was sent to them and an explanation sought from them. The state unit of Congress had also sought strict action against the MLAs for supporting a BJP government in the state, they said. The legislators had joined the MDA in February, which brought the two arch-foes together in a ruling coalition and left Congress leaders fuming.
The disciplinary panel had issued a show-cause notice to Jakhar, Thomas and the five MLAs, and had asked them to explain why action should not be initiated against them for their actions. While Thomas had explained, Jakhar preferred not to reply to the panel's show-cause notice.
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