Team News Riveting
Jagdalpur, February 11
The Congress party has served show-cause notice on prominent tribal leader and two times Union Minister Arvind Netam for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities.
Member Secretary of Congress Disciplinary Committee Tariq Anwar issued the notice to the five times Member of Parliament (MP) from Kanker. He has been asked to reply within a week why disciplinary action cannot be taken against him.
“It has been brought to the notice of Congress President by Bhupesh Baghel, Chief Minister, Chhattisgarh that you are indulging in anti-party activities,” Anwar said in the notice. It added that Netam had formed Sarva Adivasi Samaj that is working against the Congress and had even put up candidates against the party’s nominee in the recently concluded Bhanupratappur by-election.
Sources in the party said the Congress high command had made up the mind to show the door for Arvind Netam, who has served as Union Minister with late Indira Gandhi and P V Narsimha Rao. He has been representing the Kanker Lok Sabha constituency and enjoys a considerable clout among the tribals in Bastar region.
Netam has changed three parties in 22 years. It included Bahujan Samaj Party, BJP and NCP. In 2018, he returned to Congress but failed to get important assignments neither in the party-ruled government nor in the organisation. Netam then started working for the tribal community and established a strong base of Sarva Adivasi Samaj in the remote areas.
The action came ahead of Congress’ 85th plenary session to be organised in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on February 24. Interestingly, he was a member of the reception committee of the session.
Besides Netam, show-cause notice has also been served on Amarjeet Singh Chawla, General Secretary (organisation) of Chhattisgarh Congress Committee.
The indications in the political corridors hint Netam likely to join the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
