Congress panel recommends suspension of Sunil Jakhar for two years

The Congress Disciplinary Committee on Tuesday recommended the suspension of its former Punjab unit chief Sunil Jakhar for two years and his removal from all party posts, besides recommending removal of Kerala leader K V Thomas from all party positions for anti-party activities, sources said. The disciplinary panel of the Congress, which met here this morning, also recommended the suspension of five party MLAs in Meghalaya, who had supported the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) in the state, while defying the party directives.

The Committee has given its recommendations to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who will take necessary action, the sources pointed out.

The five-member Committee is chaired by senior party leader A K Antony and Tuesday’s meeting was attended by panel members Tariq Anwar, J P Aggarwal and G Parameswar, besides Antony. Ambika Soni was not present during the meeting.

Ahead of the Congress disciplinary committee meeting, Jakhar had said those who still have a conscience will be punished.

“Aaj, sar kalam honge unke jinme abhi zameer baaki hai. (Today, those with a conscience will be beheaded). (My apologies to Javed Akhtar Saheb),” said Jakhar in a tweet.

Jakhar had criticised former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and termed him a liability for the party after the Congress lost to the AAP in Punjab.

Thomas had attended a seminar organised by the CPI(M) on April 9 in Kerala against the party’s wishes and local state leaders had been seeking action against him.

Sources said the five Congress MLAs in Meghalaya had joined the BJP-backed ruling alliance in the state, for which a show-cause notice was sent to them and an explanation sought from them.

The legislators had joined the MDA in February, which brought the two arch foes together in a ruling coalition, and left Congress leaders in the state fuming.