M A I N   N E W S

Cong expels Birender from CWC, asks for explanation
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 31
In a strong message to party dissidents, Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday expelled senior Haryana Congress leader Birender Singh from the all-powerful Congress Working Committee and demanded his explanation for "continued anti-party activities."

Birender was dropped from CWC, Congress' highest decision-making body, after a daylong deliberation in the party over his ongoing parleys with the BJP.

The Congress high command asked Birender, party's Rajya Sabha MP, to explain why he has been constantly hobnobbing with BJP leaders.

The party has given Birender three days to respond to a show-cause letter failing which the next course of action would be contemplated.

Congress general secretary in charge of Haryana Shakeel Ahmed today said Birender had been dropped from the CWC for gross indiscipline. He has been openly making statements against Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, harming party's prospects on the eve of Assembly elections and undermining workers' morale.

The show-cause letter written by Congress general secretary Ahmed to Birender states, "It has come to our notice that you have been regularly making public statements against the Congress government in

Haryana. Your acts are harmful for party interests in the state. It has further been reported in the media that you have been hobnobbing with the BJP. You have not contradicted these reports. Two days back, you met BJP president Amit Shah and admittedly discussed political things with him. Your actions are detrimental to party interests. As party MP, you are asked to explain your position within three days of receipt of this letter. If we do not receive any reply, we will assume you have nothing to say in this matter."

In case Birender Singh does not respond, the party can suspend or expel him. In that case, he will get to keep his Rajya Sabha berth. Birender has one-and-a-half-year Rajya Sabha stint left.

Party leaders said Birender's expulsion from the Congress Working Committee is rare as the Congress president has in recent memory never dropped a leader from the group. Birender, former general secretary of the Congress, was the sole leader from Haryana to be part of the compact Congress Working Committee.

Sonia's action against the senior dissident leader, sources said, was a message to all rebels that the party would not succumb to their pressures or blackmail. Birender Singh had been seeking removal of Bhupinder Singh Hooda as the Haryana Chief Minister.

Ready to join BJP?

• Birender was dropped from CWC, Congress' highest decision-making body, after a daylong deliberation in the party over his ongoing parleys with the BJP
• The Congress high command asked Birender, party's Rajya Sabha MP, to explain why he has been constantlyhobnobbing with BJP leaders
• Birender has been given three days to respond to a show-cause letter failing which the next course of action would be contemplated.