DIMAPUR, JANUARY 29 (MExN): Former Working President & Treasurer of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) and Vice-Chairman the NECCC, Dr Bobby Panicker has issued a statement regarding his expulsion from the NPCC.
Panicker claimed that his expulsion was a result of “problem is created by one Rajesh Kumar Sethi,” former Secretary and Chairman of the Minority Cell in the NPCC. Informing that he was elected as a Pradesh Congress Committee Member from Dimapur (1) Assembly Constituency, Panicker went on to allege that Rajesh Sethi “wanted to become PCC Member from Dimapur (1) Constituency.”
He further accused Sethi of “misusing” party funds and alleged that the latter got his name recommended to the NPCC President by giving the ACC (1) President “2 second hand cars and 1 motorcycle.” “He has admitted this in writing to the President NPCC,” he claimed.
Panicker also alleged that Sethi “himself rang me up and told me this.” “I had requested Rajesh Sethi not to disturb me now as I am planning to retire from political life after Parliament Election. But he has refused to do it. As per Party Constitution if one is not a PCC member, he/she cannot hold any senior post in the NPCC. So if Rajesh becomes a member in my place I will lose my posts of Treasurer and Working President,” he added.
According to Panicker, he told Sethi that he would inform the Union Home Minister of the latter’s alleged “transfer of money through hawala transactions” and resign from the party if he removes him. “He has recorded my conversation and complained against me to President NPCC. Basing on this the Party has suspended me. This is the only thing I did. I have never worked against Party. This was purely an individual matter and nothing to do with the party. I only wanted to prevent him from taking my position and has not written to Union Home Minister,” he added.
However, Panicker said that if the party “provokes” him, he would take it up with the Union Home Minister. “I have all evidence to prove it,” he claimed.
Further, Panicker stated that the Chairman and one or two members of the Disciplinary Action Committee were not happy with him because of his closeness with the former Party President K Therie. He also spoke of his closeness with the present NPCC Chairman, adding that the latter had wrote to the AICC to appoint Panicker as a Permanent invitee in the Working Committee of All India Congress Committee.
Further, Panicker informed that there was a meeting of the Congress Co-Ordination Committee at Guwahati on January 23, where he as Vice-Chairman of NECCC, attended along with the former and present NPCC Chairmen.
“Some of the members did not like it. So they decided to expel me so that I will not be able to attend the NECCC meeting again. This is done because of jealousy,” he claimed. Panicker meanwhile stated that he would be “challenging it in Kohima High Court to seek justice.”
