Bhubaneswar
The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) took decisive action following the ink attack on its president Sarat Pattanayak, expelling five party leaders for a six-year period due to severe disciplinary breaches.
Those expelled include prominent figures like Prakash Mishra, General Secretary of OPCC, Shriyasmita Panda, General Secretary of Odisha Pradesh Mahila Congress, Sandip Routray, Secretary of NSUI, Amresh Parida, State Secretary of Youth Congress, and Aryan Sasmal, State Secretary of NSUI.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the OPCC’s Disciplinary Action Committee condemned the act of throwing ink at the state president on June 21 as a “highly undisciplined act” that tarnished the party’s reputation. The decision to expel these members for six years was based on television footage and aimed at addressing such anti-party and disciplinary infractions.
Initially, the party had alleged involvement by miscreants linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party or other political entities. However, subsequent investigations confirmed that the ink attack was orchestrated by disgruntled party members, highlighting internal rifts within the Congress, which is a matter of concern for the party leadership.
