For Backing Sachin Pilot, Congress Sacks Ex-National Spokesperson Sanjay Jha; Cites 'Anti-Party Activities'

A veteran leader of Congress, Sanjay Jha was removed as the party spokesperson last month for his critical take on the grand old party in a newspaper article.

(File Photos/ Getty)

New Delhi: The Indian National Congress suspended senior leader and former national spokesperson Sanjay Jha on Tuesday, for 'anti-party activities, breach of discipline'. In a two-line note issued on Tuesday evening, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee said that "Sanjay Jha has been suspended from Congress party with immediate effect "for anti-party activities and breach of discipline." The official order did not openly clarified whether the decision was linked with Jha's inclination for Pilot but the possibility can not be ruled as Jha backed the Pilot team against the other faction led by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. A veteran leader of Congress, Sanjay Jha was removed as the party spokesperson last month for his critical take on the grand old party in a newspaper article.

First, Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Now, Sachin Pilot. Who next? Watch this space! — Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) July 14, 2020

Following the internal conflict, Jha earlier this month resigned from his post as president of the Maharashtra unit of the All India Professionals Congress (AIPC), citing "political outspokenness conflicts with official position". Earlier on Tuesday, the grand-old party sacked Sachin Pilot as deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan and as the president of the Rajsthan Pradesh Congress Committee on Tuesday. Besides Pilot, two other ministers Vishwendra Singh and Ramesh Meena were also removed from their posts while 59 office bearers of Tonk unit of Congress party in Rajasthan tendered their resignations in protest against the removal of Pilot as the Deputy CM and Rajasthan PCC Chief. The decision came after the disgruntled party leader decided to give another snub to the party's high-level legislative party meeting on Tuesday morning, despite open invitation and repeated coaxing by Congress top-brass including Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. A political tiff has developed between Sachin Pilot and CM Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan. Both the factions are running a show to display their political strength and numbers of loyalists they are backed by.