With differences between Congress leader already surfaced over recent clash in the Party office, state president, Nirmal Khatri, who already ordered a probe into the matter, now tried to get back to the business on Monday. In chat with some journalists here at Party’s state head-quarter on Monday afternoon, Khatri, claimed that to contain the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi, they will hold a three days long ‘ leadership Development Programme’ for youths in the temple city from February 28. Around 200 youths, mostly from Varanasi, would attend this training programme where they would be aware about the rich traditions and history of the Congress besides the leadership qualities of the youth.
Khatri said that the training would be held at the historic and religious Saranath with senior leaders of the Congress, team members of the Jawaharlal Nehru leadership Institute(JllI) and well known subject specialists would interact with the youths. ‘Our effort is to aware the youths about the Congress in Varanasi, where PM Modi has his influence,’ he said. Prominent people who would be giving their presentations included Justice(Rtd) Haider Abbas, who will speak on history of Indian National Congress with comparison with ideological values of rightist, leftists and centrist political parties in India, besides Gujarat leader Hemant Shah, Madhusudan Mistri, Vinod Mali, laljibhai Desai and Sanjay Dave will also interact with the youths.
On the last day of the training programme, the Congress leaders will bring out a ‘Padyatra’ which will end at Dashasamedh Ghat to aware the people about the party’s ‘ Rail and Road Roko’ agitation in UP on March 12. He said that a similar padyatra would be held in Etawah, on February 25 to generate people to support the agitation called against the Centre as well as the Uttar Pradesh government. Khatri further informed that AICC General secretary and in-charge of UP Madhusudan Mistri will submit the feedback of the state leaders to the high command by February 25.’All the state leaders have submitted their report to Mr Mistri on February 14 and now after scrutinising it, he will submit to the high command by February 25,’ he said. The high command has sought feed back from the ground level for reviving the party after the lok Sabha debacle.
Earlier, in an interesting turn of events, Khatri on Saturday ordered a probe into the ‘clash’ between two Congressmen in party state office campus last Wednesday. The move is being seen as Khatri’s attempt to show his impartiality in dealing with the incident after seeing the resentment within the party over his alleged one-sided action in the case. He has also restricted entry of organising secretary Ashok Singh in the UPCC office on the pretext that he has not replied to the notice served on him over the incident. However, when action has already been initiated against Jamuna Shukla, the other leader involved in the incident, accusing him of being involved in anti-party activities, it is to be seen what Khatri now wants to probe.
While ordering his expulsion from the Congress for six years, Khatri had not even given an opportunity to Jamuna Shukla to defend himself. UPCC treasurer Harish Bajpai, a former MlC, has been included in the three-member committee formed by Khatri to probe the incident. Incidentally, the entire incident took place before Bajpai, and Ashok Singh whipped out the weapon before him. This being the case, it is anyone’s guess which way the probe will lead.
Bajpai had reportedly taken Ashok Singh with him during tiff and that Singh had whipped out the weapon soon after he returned to the scene after talking to Bajpai. It is not known what transpired between Bajpai and Ashok Singh that the latter came back and whipped out pistol. When UPCC chairman Satyadeo Tripathi was asked why was the probe ordered when Khatri had already taken a one-sided action against Shukla, he refused to comment. “I do not want to comment on the issue as the matter has been considered by disciplinary committee chairman Ramkrishna Dwivedi.”
Besides, Harish Bajpai, the three-member committee formed to probe the matter also includes Siraj Mehandi, UPCC Minority Cell chairman, and Baldev Chowdhary, former chairman of UPCC Scheduled Caste cell. They have been asked to probe into the matter and submit their report at the earliest.
A communiqué released by UPCC media cell in the name of Ramkrishna Dwivedi, said that as Ashok Singh had not replied to the notice served on him two days back, the party had restricted his entry in UPCC premises. A notice was pasted in UPCC office on Saturday saying whosoever would be seen carrying arms in the premises would be punished.