The Congress on Monday expelled senior party leader in Punjab Jagmeet Singh Brar, a known detractor of its Punjab unit chief Amarinder Singh, from the party in the wake of his consistent statements against the interests of the organisation.
“AICC has expelled Jagmeet Singh Brar, ex-MP, from the primary membership of the party with immediate effect,” party general secretary and in-charge of Punjab affairs Shakeel Ahmed said.
He announced the action in a tweet, minutes after emailing a letter to the rebel leader telling Brar that he had not kept his word of not speaking anything on party matters in public fora.
“Even after messaging me through mobile phone that ‘I will utter not a single word on the advice of the High Command’ you kept on tweeting and made statements in print and electronic media which were totally against the interests of the party in Punjab. Please consider this as your letter of expulsion,” Ahmed said, adding AICC has decided to take action “after considering every aspect of the issue”.
Party leaders said that the AICC has taken the action as Brar was attempting to demoralise and embarrass partymen through his statements in the State, where it is gearing up for Assembly election next year.
The action came close on the heels of a host of senior party leaders from Punjab complaining to the High Command demanding his expulsion. Brar had turned a harsh critic of Amarinder from the day he was appointed as PCC chief and had even praised AAP’s rally at the Maghi Mela in Muktsar.
Reacting strongly to his expulsion, Brar said he had been “condemned without hearing”.
Earlier, too, Brar had suggested that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi go on a sabbatical to introspect on the reasons for the party’s worst performance in the parliamentary elections. He also blamed the disconnect between party leadership and workers for the Congress rout.
Brar returned to the Congress fold in August last year after party president revoked his suspension. later he created a flutter in January this year when he praised AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal’s show at Muktsar, insisting that there was never such a huge rally in the poll-bound State.