Bhubaneswar: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee suspended MLA Suresh Routray’s son Manmath Routray from the party Friday. The suspension is on account of alleged gross violation of discipline.
The action against Routray was taken by Santosh Singh Saluja, the Chairman of the Disciplinary Action Committee of the OPCC.
In a letter to Manmath, Saluja said, “Though you are a PCC member, you have particularly said you don’t belong to Indian National Congress (INC). You have also said that you are free to visit the BJP and BJD offices.”
“A show-cause notice was sent to the PCC member, but he didn’t respond. Considering it to be a gross violation of discipline within the party, the committee has suspended him from the party,” Saluja told reporters.
While speaking to reporters September 6, Manmath had said he would not contest the next election on a Congress ticket and would announce his next move in October.
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Commenting on his suspension, Manmath said he was surprised by the suspension order as he had never joined the Congress party.
“As I was serving in a central government wing which later became an MNC, I cannot hold a position in a political party. If someone has inducted my name, the party should have scrutinised it. Now all suspicions have been cleared,” Manmath said.
Suresh Routray, a popular Congress leader and six-time MLA having a strong base in Jatni, had announced his retirement from electoral politics. He wanted his younger son Manmath to contest the next election from his constituency on a Congress ticket.
PNN & Agencies
