MPCC acts tough against dissident from Kalyan

Mumbai, Nov 7 (UNI) Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) today decided to issue a showcause notice to senior party leader from Kalyan R B Singh, whose supporters attempted to disrupt state unit president Prabha Rau's speech during the recent felicitation function to mark completion of three years of the Congress-led coalition government.

Addressing a press conference, party spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam said the party had already removed Youth congress secretary Sujit Singh, who was leading the group of workers shouting slogans against Ms Rau, from his post.

The party is in the process of identifying other officebearers and corporators from Kalyan unit of the Congress, who were shouting slogans at the party function. The workers were supporters of Mr R B Singh, who was recently removed as Kalyan Congress president, Mr Nirupam added.

He said the MPCC had taken a serious view of the anti-party activities of the workers and officebearers, which attracts disciplinary action. ''The event at Tilak Bhavan was an official function called to celebrate the three years in office of the Congress-led government,''he said.

Reacting to Ms Rau's comments against non-Maharashtrian party workers, Nirupam described the comments as an 'emotional outburst' in the wake of such indiscipline. ''Ms Rau wishes to clarify that she meant no disdain against people from other states. She just wanted to say that political culture of Maharashtra was different from other states and nothing should be done to bring disrepute to the glorious traditions of the state,''he added.

Mr Nirupam said since the state unit president has clarified her position, the unneccessary controversy should end.

To a question as to why the party had not taken action against supporters of Bhalchandra Poornekar, the ousted Thane district congress president, who created a ruckus at the Sahaydri guest house where a Congress-NCP co-ordination committee meeting was in progress a few weeks ago, Mr Nirupam said he had no information if any action was taken in that case.

Ms Rau has also appointed a three-member committee, comprising Social Justice Minister Chandrakant Handore, MPCC general secretary Rajan Bhosale and Mr Nirupam himself, to look into the grievances of the Kalyan unit of the Congress and try to trash out differences between various groups in the local unit.

UNI