Sunil Jakhar doesn’t reply to showcause notice issued by Congress, deadline ends

The development may put the Congress high command in another catch-22 situation, even as factionalism continues to escalate in the state Congress unit. Navjot Singh Sidhu, another former Congress chief, had on Friday reached out to Jakhar, skipping the maiden function held in Amritsar by newly-appointed state party chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring.

Jakhar told The Indian Express on Monday over phone, “I have not replied.” He refused to comment further.

The disciplinary action committee of the Congress last Monday had issued show-cause notices to Jakhar and former Union minister KV Thomas for their comments and actions that were “not in tune with the party line”. Both were asked to reply to the notices within a week.

The April 11 notice to Jakhar by AICC Disciplinary Committee Member Secretary Tariq Anwar read that AICC-in-charge, Punjab, Harish Chaudhary had written a letter to the Congress president that “you have made derogatory statement against Congress leaders and also attributed motives to the leadership of thinking on communal lines while deciding the leadership of CLP Punjab. It is in gross violation of party’s ethos”.

Jakhar was recently also accused of making “objectionable” statement against the Dalits. While Jakhar did not name anyone, his comments in a television interview were seen to be aimed at former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Jakhar had hit out at Channi earlier saying that he had been a liability for the party. Jakhar has denied making any statement against the Dalit community and said his remarks were put “out of context.” Channi had subsequently met Rahul Gandhi and Raj Kumar Verka, a Dalit face of the party, had taken a strong exception to alleged remarks of Jakhar. Following a complaint, the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes (NCSC) also asked the Jalandhar police commissioner to look into the matter.

The three-time MLA and one-time MP, Jakhar had announced quitting active politics. In the run up to Assembly elections earlier this year, he had triggered controversy by saying that he was not considered as chief ministerial face of the party since he belonged to the Hindu community in the state where Sikhs are in majority, as compared to being in minority across the country.