Puducherry Congress suspends ‘rebel’ Bahour MLA Dhanavelou

Addressing a hurriedly convened press conference here, PWD Minister and PCC president A Namassivayam said Dhanavelou had been indulging in ‘anti-party activities’ violating basic principles of party discipline. He said the suspension of the legislator came into ‘immediate effect.’ Namassivayam along with the Chief Minister V Narayanasamy returned from Delhi on Wednesday after apprising Congress interim-president Sonia Gandhi and senior leader Rahul Gandhi of “continued anti-party activities of Dhanavelou.” The PCC leader said “on the recommendationof the high command Dhanavelou has been placed under suspension.”

Namassivayam said a show-cause notice would be served on Dhanavelou seeking his explanation which would enable the pa ty’s Disciplinary Committee to go in for next course of action. Dhanavelou elected from Bahoor constituency would beasked to submit his reply to the cause notice in a week’s time.

Namassivayam alleged Dhanavelou had been making attempts to topple the Congress government in collusion with the opposition AINRC and BJP. The PCC leader also accused the Bahoor MLA of meeting independent legislator from Mahe N Ramachandran at one stage to seek his support to dethrone the Narayanasamy-led Congress government here, which the latter rejected.

Namassivayam also said that he and the Chief Minister had placed before the AICC leaders a detailed report about Dhanavelou’s “anti-party activities” for some time now and now the high command had recommended his suspension.

Dhanavelou came out with serious allegations against the Congress government in the union territory recently. The rebel MLA also met Lt Governor Kiran Bedi at heroffice and apprised her of various “corrupt practices and scandals” indulged in by the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues.

Asked if Dhanavelou would be disqualified as an MLA, the Chief Minister who was present at the press conference said, “Let us wait for the explanation from Dhanavelou in response to the show-cause notice which would be sent to him.”