Hindustantimes wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe

Sanjay Jha who faulted Congress for turmoil in Rajasthan suspended from party

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Byhindustantimes.com
Jul 14, 2020 11:13 PM IST

The Congress statement did not outline the charge against Sanjay Jha. It is not clear if his suspension was linked to the barrage of tweets and statements over the ongoing Ashok Gehlot vs Sachin Pilot.

Congress leader Sanjay Jha who was removed as the party spokesperson last month for a newspaper article was suspended from the Congress late on Tuesday. A two-line note issued by the Maharashtra unit said Jha was being suspended with immediate effect for what it described as “anti-party activities and breach of discipline”.

The Congress statement did not outline the charge against Sanjay Jha. It is not clear if his suspension is linked to the barrage of tweets and statements over the ongoing Ashok Gehlot vs Sachin Pilot playing out in Rajasthan.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Jha backed Pilot who had been removed as Rajasthan deputy chief minister and the party’s state unit president just hours earlier. In tweets and his statements to television channels, Sanjay Jha was critical of how the Congress is being run and spoken of disillusionment within the party.

But Sanjay Jha had been tweeting in support of Pilot for a few days, crediting him with rebuilding the party from 2014 when he was inducted as the Rajasthan Congress chief.

Jha, a familiar face of the Congress on television debates, was sacked as the party spokesperson’s post after he wrote an article that was severely critical of the party leadership. In this, he has contradicted the party’s claim that the Congress has an internal platform for frank exchange of ideas and counter-ideas to get the party back on track.

He has worn the party’s decision to remove him as spokesperson as a badge of honour on his Twitter profile but insisted that he did not intend to jump ship and stay with the Congress. Later, he even tweeted that he would throw his hat in the ring as a candidate for the Congress Working Committee - the highest decision-making body in the grand old party – “as and when there are elections”.

To be sure, Sachin Pilot and the two ministers dropped from Ashok Gehlot’s cabinet earlier on Tuesday also continue to remain in the party. The Congress hasn’t suspended or expelled them. But it is clear that their continuation in the party is going to be untenable.

Unveiling 'Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Lok Sabha Election 2024 LIVE along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
OPEN APP