Kolkata, April 27 The CPI(M) in West Bengal has expelled three-time Lok Sabha member, Bansa Gopal Chowdhury, from the party on charges of "highly objectionable" behaviour towards a woman colleague.
On April 20, the woman leader of the party and also a former councillor from Jiaganj-Azimganj Municipality made a post on the social networking site accusing Chowdhury of sending her obscene messages on WhatsApp. She also uploaded the screenshots of those messages allegedly sent to her.
She also sought disciplinary action against Chowdhury, who was also a member of the previous Left Front cabinet before becoming a Lok Sabha member from the Asansol constituency in the West Burdwan district of West Bengal. He was currently the party's West Burdwan district committee member.
The woman claimed she brought the matter to the party leadership's notice in November last year. The matter was referred to the party's internal complaints committee, which started an investigation.
Chowdhury, however, had been denying the allegations since the beginning and claimed that he was a victim of a conspiracy.
Finally, after the woman leader uploaded the screenshots of the messages on the social networking site this month, the CPI(M) decided to expel Chowdhury from the party.
CPI(M) leadership announced Chowdhury's expulsion through a notification issued on Sunday morning. However, in the notification, the party did not elaborate on the reason behind his expulsion.
"As per the notification, Chowdhury refused to get reforms despite sustained efforts by the party leadership to do so. Hence, he had been expelled from the party as per the recommendations of the internal complaints committee," read the notification.
"In terms of Lok Sabha or Assembly strengths in West Bengal, we might be zero. But we never nurture such instances of moral degeneration within the party. But I wonder whether, after being expelled, he will become an asset for Trinamool Congress," said a state committee leader of the party.
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