The latest expulsions by the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) has stirred a controversy, with the anti-Virbhadra camp deciding to take up the matter with Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and terming the action as selective and arbitrary.
The anti-Virbhadra camp, including former HPCC chief Kaul Singh Thakur, Asha Kumari and GS Bali are likely to take up the matter with Sonia Gandhi shortly.
Some leaders brought the matter to the notice of Congress general secretary and Himachal affairs in-charge Chaudhary Birender Singh. A majority of these leaders termed the expulsions as not only ill-timed, but also one-sided, guided by the principle of pick and choose.
Kaul Singh Thakur remarked that Congress constitution says that party issued a show-cause notice first and then take action, but in this latest action by HPCC, party bosses didn’t give chance to expelled leaders to put their opinion. He termed it deplorable and added that action should not be taken on the basis of hearsay and if there were complaints, those should have been referred to the Disciplinary Committee constituted by the AICC so that the allegations could have been verified before ordering expulsion.
Many Congress leaders complaint that the only those leaders who had worked against Virbhadra Singh loyalists face the action, however rebels in many places like Kasumpti, Arki, Kullu, Chamba and Solan are enjoying the blessing of HPCC.
The latest expulsions is also getting sharp criticism in Shimla urban seat as well as the Shimla (Urban) District Congress Committee (DCC) is up in arms against the decision of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) to expel its general secretary Sanjeev Kuthiala and sitting Shimla Municipal Corporation councillor Sushma from the party for six years for anti-party activities.
Condemning the expulsions, entire Shimla (Urban) DCC, including its president Pradeep Singh, vice-presidents, general secretaries, secretaries and executive members, said the decision was not acceptable to them and they would take it up with the party high command.
Even former MLA Harbhajan Singh Bhajji, Adarsh Kumar, and few other Congress workers have termed the expulsions as illegal, biased and against the norms of the party constitution.
In a written statement, they pointed out that they would take up the matter with Birender Singh, AICC general secretary and Himachal affairs in charge.
