Former MP and MLA from Kerala, AP Abdullakutty, was sacked from the Congress party on Monday, 3 June, after he updated a Facebook post praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The secret of what made him (Modi) popular is Gandhian values,” Abdullakutty had said in a Facebook post. He had also praised the Swachh Bharat scheme and the free LPG connections offered under the Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana scheme.
This is not a first for Abdullakutty as he was also ousted from the CPI(M) in 2009 for praising Modi, while the latter was chief minister of Gujarat.
The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) had issued Abdullakutty a show cause notice over the post, but he denied ever receiving it.
Following this, the party once again sent him the notice via email and registered mail; however, Abdullakutty refused to respond to the same, which ultimately resulted in his expulsion from the Congress.
“It’s sad news. I expected it from Mullappally Ramachandran (KPCC President). I’m not an opportunist. I am a person who took a stand on developmental issues.”AP Abdullakutty, ex-Kerala MLA, to ANI
Days after his praise for PM Modi created a furore within party circles, the Congress party's mouthpiece on Thursday, 30 May, lashed out at Abdullakutty, describing him as a migratory bird, and that his behaviour was "completely unacceptable."
The editorial said Abdullakutty, who is “power-hungry”, was upset as the Congress refused to field him from Kasaragod in the Lok Sabha election.
It also said that Abdullakutty has realised that now it is dry summer for the Congress and lotus-blossoming spring season for the saffron party.
“Praising BJP while being inside Congress is completely unacceptable. Like a migratory bird, Abdullakutty came to Congress from CPI(M) riding on hopes of being in power. He is pinning his hopes on the saffron party to migrate there. It is better to drop Abdullakutty who plans to contest as a BJP candidate from Manjeshwar Assembly seat.”‘Veekshanam’, Congress mouthpiece, said in its editorial
(With Inputs From PTI)
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