The Delhi Congress expelled Barkha Shukla Singh from the party for six years on Friday, a day after she publicly criticised party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
Ms. Singh, who resigned as the Delhi Pradesh Mahila Congress president on Thursday, had accused the Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken of misbehaving with her last year, and Mr. Gandhi of ignoring her complaints. She had also termed Mr. Gandhi “unfit” to lead the party.
‘It’s illegal’
On Friday morning, the disciplinary committee of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, comprising former Delhi Minister Dr. Narender Nath, ex-president of Delhi Mahila Congress Abha Chaudhary and party leaders Mahmood Zia and Surender Kumar, unanimously passed a resolution to expel Ms. Singh for “anti-party activities”.
Ms. Singh, however, termed her expulsion as “illegal” and said that she would fight it legally.
“Mr. Gandhi has yet again successfully proved to the people of our great nation that he considers the Congress party to be his family’s fiefdom. I want to know how does voicing my opinion about Rahul Gandhi amount to anti-party activities. I have not said anything against the Congress,” she said in a statement.
Taking a jibe at the lack of internal democracy in the party, Ms. Singh said that Mr. Gandhi had not been elected to the post of vice-president. She added that internal elections had not been held in the Congress for 17 years, and that she would file a petition with the Election Commission about the same.
