The Congress on Saturday expelled Acharya Pramod Krishnam from the party for "indiscipline", citing the repeated statements made by the leader against the party.
The decision was taken by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday after a proposal seeking his dismissal from the party was mooted by the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.
"In view of the complaints of indiscipline and repeated statements against the party. Congress President has approved the proposal of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee to expel Pramod Krishnam from the party for six years with immediate effect," read an official statement issued by the Congress on Saturday.
A day after his expulsion, Krishnam took to Twitter to post his response. "Ram and Rashtra... But there can be no compromise," he said.
राम और “राष्ट्र”
— Acharya Pramod (@AcharyaPramodk) February 11, 2024
पर “समझौता” नहीं किया जा सकता. @RahulGandhi
This isn't the first time that Krishnam has openly stood against Congress and its leadership. Earlier in the month, Krishnam met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to invite him to the foundation stone laying ceremony of Shri Kalki Dham in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal on February 19. He had also met Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani to invite her to the event.
He criticised the Congress leadership for skipping the Ram Mandir consecration event, before praising PM Modi. Krishnam said that had it not been for him, Ram Mandir would never have been a reality. "From Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehrum till today, the country has seen many PMs. But none made such a big effort to fulfil a long-held demand or wish. I commend the Prime Minister for his leadership and efforts to take the Ram Temple movement to its logical end," Krishnam said.
He was also critical of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, calling it “political tourism". He added that while all other political parties are gearing up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress seemed to be gearing up for the "2029 elections".
"Congress has some great and intelligent leaders. While all other parties around them have begun hectic preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress is happy to indulge in political tourism and travel. It would seem that Congress has hit upon a ploy to win the 2024 elections after this year passes. Or rather, it almost looks as if we have already given up on 2024 and are preparing for the 2029 elections. Had we been preparing earnestly for 2024, things wouldn’t have come to this," Acharya Krishnam told ANI earlier.
On Nitish Kumar leaving the INDIA bloc, Krishnam said the INDIA bloc no longer exists. "I believe there is no such thing as INDIA any more. The alliance contracted multiple serious ailments and afflictions at birth. Then it slipped into the ICU and ventilator. Eventually, it was Nitish Kumar (one of the key architects of the Bloc) who performed its last rights in Patna. I don’t think it exists any longer," Krishnam said.
However, reports are that Krishnam was disappointed with INDIA bloc partner Samajwadi Party's decision to declare candidates for both Sambhal and Lucknow, which he has been eyeing. During the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Krishnam contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Lucknow on a Congress ticket but lost.
However, he garnered an impressive 1.8 lakh votes. The leader was earlier a part of Congress' Uttar Pradesh advisory council, formed to assist Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in her role as UP in-charge for the party.
