Assam youth Congress chief Angkita Dutta expelled from party

Guwahati, April 22 (IANS) Assam youth Congress chief Angkita Dutta was, on Saturday, expelled from the party for six years for her "anti-party" activities.

An official statement of the All India Congress Committed mentioned, "Hon'ble Congress President has expelled Angkita Dutta, President of Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, from the primary membership of the party, for six years, for her anti-party activities, with immediate effect."

Two days ago, Dutta had alleged in a series of Tweets that national president of youth Congress, Srinivas B.V. has been causing harassment and heckling her on more than one occasion based on her gender.

She also claimed that she apprised Rahul Gandhi about Srinivas' "wrongdoings" and sought his intervention in the matter.

She wrote, "I had a lot of faith in Rahul Gandhi and went to Jammu during Bharat Jodo to apprise him of Srinivas' harassment and demeaning use of language towards me. It's April now and still no inquiry against him."

Dutta claimed that she kept quiet for months waiting for the party top brass to take action against Srinivas. However, no inquiry committee was set up despite her complaints.

In her tweets, the Assam Congress leader asked Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, "I am a woman leader. If I undergo such harassment, how am I supposed to encourage other women to join the Congress party?"

Replying to her allegation, the Indian Youth Congress legal cell has sent a defamation notice to Dutta. Assam Pradesh Congress also issued a show-cause notice to her.

Angkita Dutta also lodged a police complaint in Guwahati's Dispur police station against Srinivas B.V. accusing him of mental harassment and further recorded her statement before the court on Friday.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "The incident is Congress party's internal matter. I don't want to get involved in this. However, if they fail to address the issue of an Assam woman leader, police would take action as there was a complaint lodged before the police. Even the National Commission for Women (NCW) has also written to the Assam DGP."