Congress pays homage to Madhavrao on birth anniversary, says Jyotiraditya ‘expelled from party’

NEW DELHI: Amid the political crisis in Madhya Pradesh following the resignation of Jyotiraditya Scindia from Congress, the Grand Old Party on Tuesday paid homage to Madhavrao Scindia on his 75th birth anniversary, who was born on March 10.

Soon after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi earlier in the day, disgruntled Scindia had tendered his resignation to party president Sonia Gandhi, saying it was now time for him to move on.

The development came before Congress claimed that the party has expellted Scindia for “anti-party activities”.

“Congress President has approved the expulsion of Jyotiraditya Scindia from the Indian National Congress with immediate effect for anti-party activities,” read a statement issued by KC Venugopal, General Secretary, All India Congress Committee (AICC).

“Having been a primary member of the Congress Party for the last 18 years. it is now time for me to move on. I am tendering my resignation from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress and as you well know this is a path that has been drawing itself out over the last year,” said Scindia in his resignation letter submitted to Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi.

The party tweeted: “We honour Madhavrao Scindia on his birth anniversary today. He served as a Lok Sabha MP for nine terms & served as the Railways Minister. The first Shatabdi Express was launched during his tenure.”

The father of sulking Congress leader Jyotiraditya, the senior Scindia died in an air crash in 2001 in Mainpuri with journalists on board while on the way to his constituency.

Now when junior Scindia has revolted from the party and is incommunicado, the party is on fire fighting mode with former party president Rahul Gandhi dropping in to talk to interim president Sonia Gandhi late on Monday.

The Congress crisis managers hope that they will be able to resolve it but many in the party feel Scindia has gone too far – the point of no return. But the senior Congress leaders said that they are ready to back Scindia as in politics there is always a U-Turn and Scindia has not openly said anything.

The shocker for the Madhya Pradesh government came on a day when Chief Minister Kamal Nath met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi and briefed her about the current political situation in the state following last week’s attempt to topple the government.

Apart from the two close Scindia associates, the others were Rajyawardhan Singh, Pradhuman Singh Tomar, Giriraj, Raksha Sinoriya, Jaswant Jatav, Suresh Dhakad, Jajpal Singh and Brijendra Yadav. Attempt to contact the MLAs did not succeed as they switched off their mobile phones.