Congress expels Laxman Singh for 6 years, had called Rahul Gandhi 'naive'

Citing repeated instances of anti-party activities, Tariq Anwar, a member of the Congress Discipline Committee, sanctioned his expulsion for six years.

On April 25, Laxman Singh criticised the party leadership following the Pahalgam terror attack. "Rahul Gandhi and Robert Vadra are naive. The country is suffering the consequences of their immaturity," he stated during a condolence meeting organised to pay tribute to the victims.

In another striking statement that day, Singh alleged that Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was colluding with terrorists.

Taking note of his remarks, the Congress Disciplinary Action Committee issued him a show-cause notice on May 9, demanding an explanation within ten days.

In the notice, member secretary Tariq Anwar stated, "This is to bring to your attention that a complaint has been received from MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in charge of MP Harish Chaudhary regarding your repeated public statements, which have caused serious damage to the image and dignity of the Congress."

"It has further been noted that your recent statement has crossed all acceptable limits, particularly the derogatory and disrespectful remarks directed at senior party leadership, including the Honourable Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Shri Rahul Gandhi," the notice added.

Defiant in his stance, Singh challenged the party to expel him immediately if it deemed his comments unacceptable. However, his response was found unsatisfactory, prompting the party's disciplinary wing to recommend his removal.

Following approval from the high command, Tariq Anwar formally announced Singh's expulsion on Tuesday.

The princely state of Raghogarh has long wielded influence in Madhya Pradesh politics, with Digvijaya Singh serving as the Chief Minister before moving to the Rajya Sabha. His son, Jaivardhan Singh, represents Raghogarh in the Legislative Assembly, while Laxman Singh has served as both a Member of Parliament and a legislator from Chachauda.

Despite his political tenure, he has often been perceived as receiving less prominence than Digvijaya Singh's immediate family. He also had a brief stint with the BJP. Tensions simmered in 2018 when Congress returned to power in Madhya Pradesh after 15 years. Laxman Singh had expected a ministerial position, given his seniority, but was overlooked in favour of Digvijaya Singh's son, Jaivardhan Singh. Though he refrained from public dissent at the time, he continued to express his grievances intermittently.