The Congress has taken serious note of party MlA Irfan Ansari’s statements against Pradesh Congress Committee president Sukhdeo Bhagat and other senior leaders. The party is collecting media reports to be sent to its high command in Delhi soon seeking action against Ansari for ‘breach of discipline’.
Referring to Ansari’s open defiance, the PCC president on Tuesday said, “The party is not going to tolerate indiscipline of any of its MlA or leader. We have information about some of the statements coming which is detrimental to the party. Reports are being prepared and paper cuttings would be attached before to be sent to the high command. The party is pretty clear that whosoever crosses the limit of discipline would have to face action.”
Irfan, son of senior party leader and former MP Furkan Ansari, has upped the ante against the PCC chief terming him incompetent after the party suffered humiliating defeat in the Assembly polls. Congress was reduced to six from its previous tally of 13 in the State. Also the party could not open its account in the earlier held lok Sabha polls.
Irfan Ansari, who is a first-timer in the Assembly and is said to have been in touch with the BJP to cross over along with some other Congress MlAs, has on several occasions openly criticised Bhagat. He even went on slamming Congress legislative Party leader Alamgir Alam terming him ineloquent, aging and speechless.
“The party cannot be revived with the leaders of this kind,” he had said. Irfan, with clear support from his father and some senior leaders in the anti-Bhagat camp, had even met Congress national president Sonia Gandhi demanding a leadership change in Jharkhand. The flock held Bhagat solely responsible for poll debacles.
Bhagat, at the same time, also said that the party MlAs were united against the BJP Government. “Congress has called its legislative body meeting on February 26 to discuss its strategies for the Assembly session. Besides, we would stage a dharna at Birsa Chowk on March 2 against anti-people policies of the NDA Government such as land acquisition and also for continuing recruitment without domicile policy in Jharkhand,” said Bhagat.
The party also criticised the State Government for raising VAT on auto fuels, blamed it for horse trading and deteriorating law and order situation across the State. “The Government is acting keeping interest of the corporate into mind. It is our duty to oppose such move. We will intensity our door to door consultation programme in villages,” added Bhagat.
He, on the occasion, also distanced the party from others in the Opposition like JMM and JVM terming it a programme of a national party. “We are a national party and our policies will be in tune with that status. We cannot sit with regional outfits here,” said the PCC chief.