Congress Expels Leaders Over Ink Attack in Odisha

The Congress expelled five of its leaders in Odisha for six years following an incident where ink was thrown at OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak. The expelled members included high-ranking officials and the action was reportedly based on TV footage identifying their indiscipline.

In a dramatic turn of events, the Congress expelled five leaders in Odisha on Sunday, including the party's state unit general secretary, for a six-year term due to their alleged involvement in an ink attack on OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak.

Friday saw two masked individuals hurling ink at Pattanayak at the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters. Among those expelled were OPCC general secretary Prakash Mishra and Odisha Pradesh Mahila Congress general secretary Shriyasmita Panda.

The disciplinary action, announced by committee chairman Santosh Singh Saluja, cited TV footage as evidence of their anti-party activities, leading to immediate expulsion. A copy of the order has been sent to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC in-charge of Odisha, Ajoy Kumar.