PANAJI
Goa Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) has issued show cause notice to party MLA Carlos Alvares Ferreira for indulging in “anti-party conduct”.
The notice issued by party president Amit Patkar has mentioned that Ferreira violated party discipline by attending the birthday celebration of a BJP legislator Nilesh Cabral on July 10.
“The President has sought written reply from the MLA,” sources said confirming that the MLA has already put across his say verbally to the President as well as the party High command, wherein he admitted to have attended the birthday celebration on “personal grounds”.
The discontent within the Congress party comes just days before the Monsoon Session of the Goa Legislative Assembly, which is scheduled from July 21.
When contacted, Patkar, refused to comment on the development stating that it is party’s internal matter. “Congress party is a disciplined party and we would not like to violate its norm. This is party’s internal matter and would be resolved internally,” he said.
Patkar has already raised the issue with All India Congress Committee's Goa in-charge Manikrao Thakare. In a letter written on July 11 to Thakare, Patkar questioned Ferreira's loyalty towards the party and sought action against him, claiming his conduct has demoralised the party cadres across the state.
The letter was written a day after Ferreira participated in the birthday celebration of BJP MLA Nilesh Cabral, a political rival of Patkar.
Ferreira's presence in such a high-profile BJP gathering, at a time when the Congress was vigorously opposing the saffron party government's "misrule", is not just unfortunate, but is a "blatant and deliberate violation of party discipline", Patkar claimed.
The Congress held an outreach programme in Curchorem, three days prior to the birthday celebration, which the MLA chose not to attend thus sending distressing and demoralising message to the cadre, especially in Curchorem where party narrowly lost, he said.
Patkar also pointed out that in the past too, a detailed confidential note was moved to then AICC Goa in-charge Manickam Tagore that had clearly flagged a "consistent pattern of anti-party actions" by Ferreira.
