Cong removes Digambar Kamat as permanent invitee to CWC

Panaji, July 17: The Congress on Sunday removed former Goa chief minister Digambar Kamat from the position as a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee with immediate effect, the party said in a statement.

The Congress leadership in the coastal state had alleged recently that its MLAs Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat were trying to split the party in connivance with the ruling BJP.

Lobo and Kamat have been accused of anti-party activities by Congress' Goa desk in charge Dinesh Gundu Rao and state unit chief Amit Patkar.

The party also had filed disqualification petitions against the two MLAs and it has been admitted by Goa Assembly Speaker Ramesh Tawadkar.

Last Sunday, five of the total 11 Congress MLAs in Goa went incommunicado, fuelling speculations about a split in the party. But, they attended the monsoon session of the state Assembly which began on Monday and claimed there was "nothing wrong" in the opposition party.

The party also removed Lobo from the post of leader of opposition in the 40-member state Assembly.