UPCC refuses to change decision on AICC’s direction

A letter from All India Congress Committee secretary Parvez Hashmi,which was addressed to Congress Uttar Pradesh president Rita Bahuguna Joshi,created another controversy within the UPCC on Monday. In the letter,Hashmi asked the state unit to put the expulsion of a party member on stay till Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh was back in Delhi and the matter was discussed with him.

UPCC disciplinary committee chairman,R K Dwivedi,had expelled party member Amarnath Agarwal on Saturday alleging that Agarwal was indulging in anti-party activity and also maligning the image of senior leaders. Dwivedi had given a three-day notice to Amarnath,asking him to explain his side but on finding his reply unsatisfactory,the decision was taken to expel him from the party.

Joshi refused to discuss the matter. “Dwivediji is the authorised person to speak over this issue. I’m the appellate authority but no appeal has come to me so far so I cannot comment,” she said.

Dwivedi said,“I stand by my decision because there were various complaints against Amarnath,who is an ordinary member of the party. I will not comment on any letter and would only say that I am governed by my central disciplinary committee headed by A K Antony.”