New Delhi, Nov 4 — Taking stern action over their absence from the INDIA Bloc’s “vote chori” rally at Delhi’s Ramlila grounds, the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) suspended dozens of its workers and office-bearers on Wednesday.
A total of 83 workers engaged with the IYC, the youth wing of the Congress party, across three states have been issued notices for violating the party’s clear instructions and removed from their posts, terming their absence a ‘serious act of organisational indiscipline’.
The suspended office-bearers include leaders holding the ranks of Vice-President, general secretary, and secretary within their respective state units of the Youth Congress.
The maximum number of suspensions has taken place in Madhya Pradesh, with the party’s youth wing taking action against 60 office-bearers while Haryana and Himachal units of the party suspended 10 and 13 members each.
Their suspension comes into immediate effect and will continue under further notice, said the outfit.
INDIA bloc’s November 1 rally, 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' at Delhi’s Ramlila grounds, was the biggest gathering of opposition parties, for mobilising public support and galvanising people against alleged anomalies in the EC-mandated SIR drive. Prior to the mega rally, Congress top brass, including Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, had also made fervent appeals for maximum participation to put pressure on the government.
With several officials of the party’s youth wing, from three states, giving the November 1 rally a miss, it is seen as a grave act of indiscipline by the cadre.
The suspension notice by the MP Youth Congress reflects the message, as it clearly says that action has been taken to ensure “organisational discipline and compliance with directions” issued by the national leadership.
Notably, the Congress-led INDIA bloc has been organising a series of protest marches and public rallies against the alleged vote chori and arbitrary Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, undertaken by the Election Commission. The Opposition has been gunning for the CEC Gyanesh Kumar, alleging his direct role in irregularities regarding the electoral rolls and manipulation of the election process, at the behest of the BJP government.
The EC has been restrained in countering the charges; however, the BJP has gone the whole hog in calling out the Congress and the Opposition’s bluff. It maintains that the Opposition is resorting to ‘lies and canards’ to spread fake propaganda and, in response to the ‘vote chori’ campaign, launched its own ‘remove anarchy, save democracy’ rally.