NEW DELHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress disciplinary committee served a show-cause notice on former union minister K V Thomas on Monday for attending a seminar at the just-concluded CPM party congress in Kannur.
Punjab Congress strongman Sunil Jakhar was also served a show-cause notice for his comments against the scheduled tribe community, which were allegedly directed at former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Both leaders have been asked to reply within seven days.
“The procedure is as per the constitution of our party. We will decide on further course of action after examining his (Thomas’) reply,” said Tariq Anwar, general secretary in charge of Kerala.
A disciplinary committee meeting chaired by working committee member A K Antony discussed the complaint filed by state Congress chief K Sudhakaran against Thomas.
In his complaint to party president Sonia Gandhi, Sudhakaran recommended stringent and model disciplinary action against Thomas as he had violated her directive to refrain from the seminar and cast aspersions on the national leadership.
Reacting to the decision, Thomas told reporters that he would need only 48 hours to reply to the notice.
“I will continue to be a Congress worker till my last breath. I will accept the disciplinary committee’s decision. I’m sure A K Antony wouldn’t do anything unjust,” said Thomas.
Earlier in the day, Sudhakaran unleashed a scathing attack on Thomas. Speaking to reporters in Kochi, Sudhakaran said Thomas was a traitor.
“The reason for our opposition was that the seminar was organised by a party that had murdered several of our colleagues in the Congress,” said Sudhakaran.
Thomas alleged the public statement against him while the disciplinary committee was meeting in Delhi might be part of some larger agenda.
Thomas attended the seminar on ‘Centre-state Relations’ in Kannur on Saturday during which he shared the dais with CM Pinarayi Vijayan and his TN counterpart M K Stalin.