New Delhi: In a leader-like gesture, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday waived off the two years suspension recommended in the case of former Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar by the party’s disciplinary committee but removed him from all party panels, sources said. Sonia Gandhi also removed Kerala leader KV Thomas from the state political affairs committee and state executive committee as per the recommendations of the disciplinary panel, the sources said.
The Congress chief further suspended the five Meghalaya MLAs namely Dr Ampareen Lyngdoh, PT Sawkimie, Kimfa Marbaniang, Mayralborn Syiem, and Mohendro Rapsang for three years as they had joined the BJP-backed state government in February. The three decisions were taken by the Congress chief after reviewing the recommendations of the disciplinary panel and holding extensive consultations with the members.
The suspension of Jakhar was waived off keeping in mind his seniority and contribution to the party in the past, said the sources, who added that similar considerations had been given to Thomas as well. The Congress Disciplinary Committee, headed by veteran AK Antony, had earlier on Tuesday recommended two years suspension for Jakhar. The panel was of the view that Thomas, who had attended a CPI-M meet against party directive, should be instead given a warning not to repeat such mistakes in the future.
The disciplinary panel also recommended two years suspension for the five party MLAs in Meghalaya. Meghalaya Congress chief Vincent Pala had recommended action against them. Earlier, the panel had sent notices to the two leaders on April 11 following complaints against them for indulging in anti-party activities and had given them a week’s time to submit their replies. Jakhar did not reply to the notices while Thomas defended his attending a CPI-M meet despite the party asking him to skip the event.
Shortly before the disciplinary panel met on Tuesday, Jakhar tweeted citing a couplet from well-known poet Javed Akhtar saying “those who have self-respect will be beheaded today.” Jakhar, a former Punjab unit chief, had allegedly made some derogatory remarks against former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, a Dalit Sikh leader. Channi had raised the issue with Rahul Gandhi, who had appointed him to the top post last year just months ahead of the assembly polls.
The two years suspension recommendation will help the party send a message among the voters, especially from the Dalit community, that indecent remarks by senior leaders would not be tolerated. Rahul Gandhi, who recently met the new Punjab Congress team, told them that no indiscipline in the party would be tolerated however senior the person involved might be.
Thomas, a former union minister, recently participated in a CPI-M meet against the party’s directive. He had reportedly been upset after he was denied a Rajya Sabha seat while Jakhar was reportedly miffed as he was not made the chief minister after the high command had decided to remove then chief minister Amarinder Singh last year. Congress leaders from the Dalit community, Udit Raj and Raj Kumar Verka had demanded that Jakhar be expelled from the party over his alleged remarks.
Before Thomas, the party had asked another Kerala leader Shashi Tharoor not to attend a seminar on the Centre-state relations held as part of the 23rd party congress of the CPI-M. Tharoor had abided by the party directive but Thomas did not and provoked the state unit. The Congress-led UDF had lost the last year's Kerala assembly polls to the CPI-M-led LDF, which had won a second consecutive term under chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
