Congress decides to suspend Idris from party

Kolkata, Nov 23 (UNI) Two days after the widespread violence in Kolkata, the Pradesh Congress Committee today decided to suspend Idris Ali from party membership.

'' We have decided to suspend him. We are also going to serve a showcause notice asking him to explain very soon his role in the violence, '' Pradesh Congress Committee working president Pradip Bhattacharjee told UNI.

Party sources said the PCC, which had detailed talks with the high command in Delhi, had taken a serious view not only of the violence, but also of the issue Ali, Chairman of the party's minority cell, had taken up for launching an agitation that sparked off the trouble.

The party had already declared that it had no links with the All India Minority Forum, of which Ali was the president.

Ali had called a three-hour shutdown in the city on Wednesday as president of All India Minority Forum demanding cancellation of the visa of Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen and her deportation from India.

But the programme turned violent as hundreds of people suddenly attacked people when a road blockade was on and fought day-long pitched battles, showering bricks and bottles and torching vehicles.

As the situation refused to improve, the state Government called the Army and clamped night curfew in five police station areas.

While Ali, who in league with the Jamait-e-Ulema-e-Hind, had been campaigning against Ms Nasreen's stay in the country, however, disowned his reponsibility for the violence.

He had alleged that some outsiders had infiltrated in the people taking part in the agitation and created disturbances as part of a conspiracy.

UNI