Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Thursday suspended the sitting Sundargarh MLA Jogesh Singh for giving anti-party statements to the media.
The step was taken on the recommendation of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).
Convener of the PCC Disciplinary Committee, Ananta Sethi said the Disciplinary Committee had served him a show-cause notice to reply within 24 hours. Since he did not comply, the matter was referred to the AICC.
In his reaction, Singh said there was no plausible reason to suspend him. He questioned how praising Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his deft leadership can be termed as an anti-party activity when leaders of other political parties are also doing so. “Anyway, the OPCC has the power to take action and I have nothing to say,” Singh told mediapersons in Sundargarh.
Although he said that he did not intend quitting Congress, he did not rule out joining the BJD either.
Singh said that he would resign from his post as the PCC has suspended him from the party without any reason.
Replying to a query that the OPCC took action against him as he had refused to attend the meeting of the Congress supremo Rahul Gandhi during his visit to Bhubaneswar on January 25, Singh said the schedule of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Odisha was finalised recently whereas his programmes had been scheduled much before.
“As my programmes were scheduled earlier, I had told the OPCC that I cannot attend the meeting. Since the Assembly election is round the corner, I must focus on my constituency and stay in touch with the people who have elected me as their leader,” Singh maintained.
