The Uttarakhand Congress unit on Thursday issued a show cause notice to the head of the party’s Scheduled Caste department in the state for allegedly calling state Congress chief Pritam Singh “anti-Dalit”. Darshan Lal has been asked to appear before the party’s state disciplinary committee within seven days and submit an explanation citing reasons why he should not be expelled. The notice has been issued by Pramod Kumar Singh, chairman of the Congress’s state disciplinary committee. It states that on July 24 and 25, Darshan Lal made remarks in the media against party state chief. “You have made inappropriate remarks against party state chief which has had an adverse impact on the party’s image and that is also not as per the dignity of your position in the organisation. Why disciplinary action should not be initiated against you and why should you not be expelled from the primary membership of the party?” the notice asks. Pramod said, “Lal recently told media that the party state chief is ‘anti-dalit’. He has been asked to give an explanation. If his reply is not satisfactory, action will be initiated.” Lal said, “I have said nothing wrong. And if the party asks me, I will present evidence to prove that the state chief is anti-Dalit.”
