EXPELLED SP LEADER APPROACHES ELECTION COMMISSION

Expelled Samajwadi Party leader Richa Singh has written to the Election Commission (EC), terming her recent explusion as ‘undemocratic’.
Richa Singh, who twice contested the state Assembly polls as an SP candidate from Allahabad West constituency in Prayagraj district, was expelled on February 16. While the party leadership did not officially cite any reason for expelling her, Singh had gone on record to voice her opposition to SP leader Swami Prasad Maurya’s remark on Ramcharitmanas.
Maurya had sought deletion of certain excerpts in the book of verses based on the epic Ramayana, claiming they speak lowly of Dalits and other backward communities.
In her letter to the poll panel, Singh claimed that the party expelled her without any explanation, prior warning or even a showcause notice.
Following her expulsion, Singh claimed she was punished for speaking out against Maurya, an SP MLA, over his remarks on Ramcharitmanas.
“Natural justice demands that a show-cause notice must be issued before taking any action. Everyone should be given a fair opportunity to present their case. The Samajwadi Party never issued me a showcause notice,” Singh said.
Such an action violates Article 30 of the party’s constitution, she claimed further in her letter, urging the Commission to take cognisance of the “sabotage of democratic process”, she alleged that the party was being run on whims and fancies, and, in violation of the party
constitution.