Congress issues notices to three of its leaders

Lallu said the party had already submitted petitions seeking the disqualification of Dinesh Singh and Rakesh Singh.

The Congress on Friday served notice to party MLA Aditi Singh and its workers who staged a demonstration outside her office in Rae Bareli for defying the party’s directive to not take part in the special session of the state assembly that Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath government convened on October 2.

Local party workers also held a demonstration outside Singh’s office in Rae Bareli. (HT image)

“You have violated the party’s directives, defied the whip by taking an active part in the proceedings of assembly. This is gross indiscipline and anti-party activity. Give an explanation in two days about the gross indiscipline and anti-party activity or else necessary action will be taken against you,” Congress legislature party leader Ajay Kumar Lallu wrote in the show-cause notice to Singh, who is general secretary of the All India Mahila Congress. “The Congress had decided to boycott the session and a whip had been issued to ensure that no party legislator is present in the House,” it read.

Local party workers also held a demonstration outside Singh’s office in Rae Bareli. “I did what I felt was right… They (Congress workers) brought some outsiders and labourers to hold a demonstration in front of my office in Rae Bareli when I was away... Am I being targeted for being a woman?. Why have they not given any show cause notice to Congress MLC Dinesh Singh and MLA Rakesh Singh, who also took part in the session,” Aditi Singh said.

The Congress has asked its politicians to refrain from making statements against the party ahead of the elections due in Maharashtra and Haryana. The party asked former Mumbai unit chief Sanjay Nirupam to stop fuelling conspiracy theories, and former Haryana Congress unit chief Ashok Tanwar to act responsibly. “Mr Sanjay Nirupam would be well advised to restrain himself. It would be appropriate if he does not kite fly these conspiracy theories that are unimaginative,” Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said. Later in the day, Nirupam told a press conference that party leaders needed to understand that it’s the workers on streets and not politicians sitting in drawing rooms who can help revive the Congress. Nirupam hinted at quitting the party, but also said he may wait in the hope that things fall in line.