Old guard vs new team: UP Cong issues notice to 11 senior leaders

A week after they held a separate ‘get-together’ to celebrate the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister the late Jawahar Lal Nehru here on November 14,

A week after they held a separate ‘get-together’ to celebrate the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister the late Jawahar Lal Nehru here on November 14, the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) has given a notice to its 11 senior leaders for ‘indulging in anti-party activities’ and asked them to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against them.

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The UPCC move has given a new twist to the fight of the party’s old guard against the alleged treatment being meted out to them following recent changes in the state party organisation.

Besides holding a separate get-together to celebrate Nehru’s birthday, many of those given the notice had also assembled separately to celebrate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister the late Indira Gandhi on November 19. They had also stayed away from party meetings convened to know their point to strengthen the organisation in Uttar Pradesh.

“The Uttar Pradesh Congress disciplinary committee has come to know through newspapers that you have been consistently and unnecessarily opposing the decisions of All India Congress Committee (AICC) about Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee by holding meetings publicly. It was not expected from senior leaders like you. Your conduct is against policies and ideals of party. Your acts come under the purview of indiscipline. You are asked to clarify in 24 hours why disciplinary action should not be taken against you for your conduct,” said Uttar Pradesh Congress disciplinary committee member Ajay Rai.

Those given the notice include former MP Santosh Singh, former MLC Siraj Mehandi, former ministers Ramkrishna Dwivedi and Satyadev Tripathi, AICC member Rajendra Singh Solanki, former MLAs Bhudhar Narain Mishra, Hafiz Mohammad Omar, Vinod Chaudhary and Nek Chandra Pandey, former UP Youth Congress president Swayam Prakash Goswami and former Gorakhpur District Congress Committee president Sanjiv Singh.

All of those who attended the birthday anniversary had expressed faith and confidence in party’s leadership. When contacted, the leaders said they had not received any notice from the UPCC disciplinary committee.

“We are yet to receive any notice. We are working to strengthen the organisation and Congress president Sonia Gandhi is our leader. We have requested her for an appointment to make our point. We did not indulge in any anti-party activities,” said a leader who did not wish to be named.

Some others questioned the disciplinary committee’s jurisdiction for issuing a notice to leaders who are AICC members.

“The disciplinary committee has no authority to give notices to AICC members,” said a leader.