West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) will issue a show cause notice to its senior most Congress MLA and former president of the party, Manas Ranjan Bhunia for accepting the post of chairman of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) despite opposition from the party.
“We have been asked to issue show cause notice and we will do so,” WBPCC president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, told journalists after meeting the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi.
Mr Chowdhury said that Mr Gandhi has told him that no one is above the party discipline..
The controversy came to the fore on July 4 when ignoring the request of Leader of Opposition Abdul Mannan [of Congress] Speaker Biman Banerjee appointed Dr Bhunia as the chairman of the PAC. Mr Mannan proposed the name of CPI (M) MLA Sujan Chakraborty.
One of the senior most members of the party, Dr. Bhunia has ignored the wishes of the State Congress president [Mr Chowdhury] and Leader of the Opposition [Mr Mannan] - both his party colleagues - to accept the post of the chairman of PAC. He further held meetings as PAC chairman.
The six time Congress MLA had accused Leader of the Opposition Abdul Mannan of painting him “a villain” for no fault of his. Dr Bhunia has also maintained that his stand should be not viewed as a “defiance of the party line”.
While the State Congress president and Leader of Opposition had said that it was the Congress’ Sentral leadership that has decided to give PAC chairman post to CPI(M). Dr Bhunia had pointed out that the matter was taken to All India Congress Committee (AICC) even though AICC does not look into minor issues. The issue, once again, had brought to fore the divisions in the State Congress.
