The Hindu : Infighting surfaces in Congress

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Friday, Jan 09, 2004

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Infighting surfaces in Congress

PATNA, JAN 8. The Congress in Bihar is caught in the throes of bitter infighting with a section of partymen strongly criticising the state President Ramjatan Sinha for allegedly making adverse remarks against party's ally, the ruling RJD, and Sinha retaliating by issuing showcause notices to the rebels for `indiscipline'.

The Congress rebels taking a strong exception to Sinha's alleged utterances at a party meeting in Barbigha where he likened RJD with ``nagnath'' (snake god), the statement which was denied by the BPCC president, decided to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi at New Delhi to apprise her of the style of functioning of the state leadership.

His (Sinha's) statement against our coalition partner in Bihar will only benefit the NDA, rebels confided.

The dissident Congressmen had on January six held a meeting at the residence of former MLA Avadhesh Singh which was attended among others by state minister Ashok Chaudhary, former MP Brahmadeo Paswan former MLA Jyoti, state secretaries Raj Kumar Rajan, Madhurendra Singh and Ramnath Vidyarthy.

When contacted, Sinha denied having made any remarks against RJD at the meeting and said the BPCC general secretary Vaidehi Devi had served show cause notices to three party secretaries, Madhurendra Singh, Ramnath Vidyarthy and Raj Kumar Rajan asking them to explain as to why disciplinary action should not be initiated against them for participating in the meeting which would harm the interests of Congress.

The adoption of the resolution by the dissidents against state party leadership, prima facie, amounted to breach of discipline, Vaidehi Devi said adding the three secretaries had been asked to send their replies within a week failing which the party would be free to take action against them.

Expressing determination to maintain discipline among its ranks, Sinha said he has constituted a nine-member disciplinary committee, headed by former Union minister Rafiq Alam to look into the matters relating to organisational discipline.

Meanwhile, former Congress MP Krishna Shahi has criticised Sinha for not not informing her about his visit to Begusarai the seat she represented for several years.

Sinha neither informed the local MLA of Barbigha, Ashok Chaudhary, nor the local unit about his visit there as part of the party's mass contact programme, Shahi said.

Meanwhile, RJD has urged Sonia Gandhi to restrain Sinha from making such ``irresponsible statements''. RJD vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Spokesman Shakeel Ahmed Khan said the BPCC chief was behaving like an NDA leader despite being a partner in the Rabri Devi government. - PTI

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