New Delhi: Former Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha was suspended from the party Tuesday with immediate effect for “anti-party activities”.
The announcement was made on the Maharashtra Congress Twitter account.
Shri Sanjay Jha has been suspended from the Congress Party with immediate effect for anti-party activities and breach of discipline. pic.twitter.com/TaT0gWbCc7
— Maharashtra Congress (@INCMaharashtra) July 14, 2020
“Shri Sanjay Jha has been suspended from the Congress Party with immediate effect for anti-party activities and breach of discipline,” the tweet read.
Speaking to ThePrint, Jha said he only got to know of his suspension through the media.
“I wasn’t informed about it from anyone within the party. The party did not even tell me what it believed were my alleged misdemeanours that got me suspended,” Jha said.
He said he is disappointed, and expected the party would extend this “minimum respect” to him.
“This is the least you can do for people who are relentlessly fighting for the Congress even today. They could have called me and spoken to me about their concerns,” Jha said.
Also read: Congress fossilised, can’t beat BJP with such laid-back approach: Party spokesperson Sanjay Jha
What led to his suspension
Jha’s suspension comes on a day when the Congress is facing political crisis in Rajasthan thanks to a revolt by Sachin Pilot, who was sacked as the deputy CM and the state party chief earlier in the day.
Jha had been tweeting through the day against the Congress leadership and its handling of the crisis.
First, Jyotiraditya Scindia.
Now, Sachin Pilot.
Who next?
Watch this space!
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) July 14, 2020
“This is more of a manifestation of the intolerance within the party for dissent. I have supported Sachin Pilot openly and I hope that isn’t the cause for this suspension,” Jha said.
The suspension comes almost a month after he was removed as the Congress’ national spokesperson, after he wrote a column critical of the party leadership and also gave interviews echoing the same.
Subsequently, Jha had resigned as president of the Maharashtra unit of the All India Professionals Congress (AIPC), stating his “political outspokenness” conflicts with his “official position”.
Also read: Congress doing politics only sometimes, says Sandeep Dikshit, echoes Sanjay Jha’s concerns
The ship is sinking. And Pappu is playing violin.
Why to wait for suspension by the so-called HIGH COMMAND ? Are congress men/women so naive and Pappu -like, they can t see the which way political wind is blowing in India ? If some one thinks, Journalists included, that Congress will ever be a CHOICE by the voters of India in coming elections — I dare to say till late 2040 s– is having very poor reading of Indian voters mindset. ( Any how party is not likely to survive that much of time ). It was 36 years ago last time when Congress got majority in 1984 at center . Never thereafter . As now even regional parties too are not in a position to face BJP for a considerable period of time . So any permutation or combination is unlikely to develop to capture the seat of power as done on 2004 -2014 . IF any person below the age of 45 put his/her stays in Congress , he is just wasting his time and future . For oldies , it may be a O.K. as ” OLD-AGE SHELTER HOME /CLUB ” where talking about PAST is good past- time ,, provided they keep on their old habit of bowing before dynasts– present and to be up-staged /uploaded in near future .
Congress is disamembering its limbs.
Implosion …. to protect the kurshi of Bahadur Shah Jafar
Bechara Mr Jha, maybe he should join BJP. Let INC, or whatever is left of the original party die its natural death.
Rahul pointed out that Media is held hostage by FASCIST interests. Cambridge dictionary defines FASCISM as “a political system based on a very powerful leader, state control, and being extremely proud of country and race, and in which political opposition is not allowed”. Pilot and Jha sacked on the same day. Rahul does not own a dictionary or does not bother to google such words. His party mirrors Nokia. The once-great mobile phone manufacturer that refused to go after Apple’s iPhone nor desired to challenge the Android ecosystem. It had misplaced overconfidence that consumers would prefer the brand over quality and novelty, why not? After all, it accounted for a 50% market share back then.
Tired brand and a failed product = Congress and the Gandhis. Boycotting TV channels like Republic TV which hold the highest viewership (They may be critical of you, but the message is only louder without you defending your turf), keeping your opposition restricted to twitter (India’s Twitterati are just about 13M viz-a-viz a population of over 130 M and without even considering the possibility of BOTS), turning a deaf ear to novel ideas just because of your dislike for phonetics (Preraks vs. Pracharaks), accommodating all Leftists (Stubborn with a complete disregard for the pragmatic worldview), and most important – RELAUNCHING THE SAME PRODUCT (RAHUL GANDHI) THAT HAS BEEN REJECTED AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN is a painful reminder of Nokia’s obsession with Symbian when it was clear that iOS and Android were the future.
Great comment
Can I just say how much of a circus this party has become? 😀 party chalana nahi aata desh chalana chahte hain. I stand by Sanjay Jha’s freedom of expression.
If Jha were in BJP would he have expressed this freedom
Subramaniam Swamy Critisizes Modi and BJP publicly many times is he removed?Shatrugan Sinha too resigned to join Cong,he too wasn’t removed