Days after Assam Congress youth wing president Angkita Dutta alleged harassment against the party youth wing’s national president Srinivas BV, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) expelled her from the primary membership for six years over “anti-party activities”.
This comes a day after Dutta submitted her reply to the show-cause notice for going public with allegations of harassment and gender discrimination against the Indian Youth Congress president.
Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah said that the youth wing leader took the step without first informing the party leadership.
Dutta had, in a series of tweets on Tuesday, alleged that Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president Srinivas BV was a “sexist” and “chauvinistic” person, who has been harassing her and discriminating based on gender.
Dutta also claimed that she had informed the matter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi when she joined him for the Bharat Jodo Yatra, but no enquiry was ordered.
She said she filed a complaint at the Dispur police station in Guwahati, alleging Srinivas had been “harassing and torturing her for the last six months” using sexist comments and slang words and “threatening her with dire consequences if she keeps complaining against him to the senior party office bearers”.
Srinivas had issued a notice to Dutta, demanding an apology for her statements, failing which he will initiate legal proceedings.
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) chief Borah also served a show-cause notice to Dutta on why she had gone public with her allegations without first informing the party leadership, giving her 24 hours to respond.
But he refuted speculations that Dutta was suspended from the party.
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of Dutta’s allegations and written to the state police for necessary action.
Meanwhile, Dutta on Friday was called to the CID office here, reportedly in connection with the complaint.
Angkita Dutta is the daughter of former Assam minister Anjan Dutta, who had held the post of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president. Angkita is a fourth-generation Congress member from the family. She contested the state Assembly elections this year from Amguri constituency.
