Congress issues notice to Sanjay Nirupam
The Congress, while taking offence to the publication of articles in a party organ criticising Jawaharlal Nehru’s policies on Kashmir and China and calling Sonia Gandhi’s father a ‘fascist soldier’, h
The Congress, while taking offence to the publication of articles in a party organ criticising Jawaharlal Nehru’s policies on Kashmir and China and calling Sonia Gandhi’s father a ‘fascist soldier’, has issued a showcause notice to the magazine’s editor and Mumbai party chief Sanjay Nirupam.
The notice was issued two days ago by the Disciplinary Action Committee of theAICC headed by former defence minister A.K. Antony. Mr Nirupam is a former Lok Sabha member from Mumbai. He is also one of the Congress’ important faces from the Hindi heartland in Maharashtra.
The action has come in the backdrop of articles appearing in Mumbai Congress mouthpiece Congress Darshan in its December issue in which they had blamed Nehru for “the state of affairs in Kashmir, China and Tibet”. The reports on the publishing of these articles had appeared in the media on December 28 when the party was celebrating its 131st foundation day. Another write-up in Congress Darshan said that party president Sonia Gandhi’s father Stephano Maino was a former “fascist soldier”.
When contacted, Mr Nirupam said that he has also heard about the notice issued to him through the media, but he had not received a copy of it. “If any notice has been issued, I shall be giving the explanation. The mistake has happened and I am not denying it. I had immediately apologised for it and gave my explanation. If the party has again sought an explanation, I will give it again,” he said.
The timing of the notice is also significant, as it has been issued just days ahead of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s proposed visit to Mumbai on January 15 and 16.
Mr Gandhi, who was back from his Europe trip on Sunday, is scheduled to hold meetings with senior party leaders including those of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee during his two-day visit.
A Mumbai Congress leader, on the condition of anonymity said, “Mr Nirupam was giving the impression to everyone in Mumbai that the high command was satisfied by his explanation and Mr Gandhi’s visit to Mumbai was planned at his insistence. But the showcause notice to him clearly shows that the high command has taken the issue very seriously.”
The Congress had distanced itself from its “defunct” mouthpiece. Sudhir Joshi, the editorial content in charge of the magazine, was sacked soon after the articles were published.
Mr Nirupam had claimed that he had not seen the articles.