Chennai: A new crisis has unfolded in Tamil Nadu Congress after the AICC Tamil Nadu in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao stayed the suspension of the Nanguneri MLA Ruby R. Manoharan, just hours after it was issued by the party on Thursday.
The legislator had according to TNCC leadership created a ruckus at the party headquarters Satyamoorthi Bhavan along with five truckloads of his supporters regarding differences with the Tuticorin District Congress leadership. While the supporters of the legislator were creating violence and assault at the party headquarters, a high-level meeting of the party was being held in which TNCC president K.S. Alagiri was present.
The party had issued a show-cause notice to Manoharan but he responded to it stating that he was not aware of such an incident and that he was not present during that time.
The party-state disciplinary action committee had also sought an explanation from the MLA and the legislator was temporarily suspended from the party.
Senior leaders of the party met the AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC general secretary in charge of organisation, K.C. Venugopal, and apprised of the situation. Party leader and Deputy leader of the Congress in the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly, Rajesh Kumar met the party’s national leaders along with ten MLAs.
Sources in the party told IANS that the action of Dinesh Gundu Rao was not in accordance with the party constitution as he does not have power to revoke an action taken by the State Party Disciplinary Committee and that only AICC disciplinary committee can take a call on that.
Earlier, former Union Minister and senior leader of the Congress party, Dhanushkodi Adityan while speaking to media persons on the incident said that such issues in party are a clear indication that party was growing in the state.
–IANS