LUCKNOW: Congress’ Rae Bareli MLA Aditi Singh, who had defied her party whip to attend the special assembly session on Gandhi Jayanti, had denied having received any show-cause notice here on Saturday. On the other, Congress workers protested in front of her office Rae Bareli and demanded her resignation for going against party directive.
The young MLA was served a show-cause notice by Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Ajay Kumar Lallu on Friday evening for attending the special session going against the party line. Congress had boycotted the non-stop 36-hour special session of UP legislature on Gandhi Jayanti.
Through the notice, Aditi, who is also All India Mahila Congress general secretary, was sought to explain her act of not only attending the house but also addressing it which ‘amounted to gross indiscipline.’ She was asked why disciplinary action should not be taken against her for her stand and she was given two-day time to submit her reply.
The notice also read that action would be taken against the MLA if she would fail to respond within two days. However, Aditi denied having received any show-cause notice. She even hit out at the party leadership saying why a notice was not served on other Congress leaders like MLC Dinesh Singh who joined the BJP and his younger brother MLA Rakesh Singh who also attended the house and spoke on the floor.
“I have not received any notice. They probably have circulated it in media rather than giving it to me, Even CLP leader Ajay Kumar Lallu is not picking my call,” claimed the undaunted MLA while talking to media persons. Prior to this, Aditi Singh was among those Congress leaders who had come out to support the government over the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir. However, her decision to go against the party directive and attend the house has left the political circles of Lucknow abuzz with the prospects of her joining the saffron camp though the MLA herself never confirmed it.
Singh’s Rae Bareli Sadar seat makes up one of the five constituencies in the parliamentary seat of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Defending her move to attend the special assembly, Singh said she took part in the debate ‘rising above party politics’. “I spoke on the development issue rising above party politics. I
have tried to tread the path that I feel is right and what my father has shown to me,” said Singh after attending the state assembly. Undaunted, the young leader said she was ready to face action. “It’s the party’s call. I will accept whatever decision the Congress may take,” she said. Meanwhile, the Congress leadership in Rae Bareli organised protest in front of the office of the MLA seeking her resignation for defying party whip.
“If she talks of morality and her own ideals, she should leave the party and contest the election again,” said a Congress leader in Rae Bareli. However, the other protestor said that Aditi Singh should not indulge in indiscipline while being in the party.