Mumbai: Former MP Sanjay Nirupam, who was expelled from the Congress party, on Thursday alleged that 5 internal lobbies are functioning within the grand old party, asserting that he cannot work with ‘Khichdi Chor’. Sanjay Nirupam has been at odds with the Congress party after Uddhav Thackeray, a part of INDI Alliance, fielded Amol Kirtikar from Mumbai North West Lok Sabha seat- from where Nirupam wished to contest. 

Hitting out at the Congress party, Nirupam said that the days of Congress are gone. “Congress party is a completely scattered party and the leaders of the party have also said that its ideology is directionless,” said Sanjay Nirupam during a press conference on Thursday. 

Attacking the Congress' secular credentials, Nirupam said, “The Nehruvian secularism which has no place for religion in the society has expired.” 

"India is a religious country. But the Congress termed the 'pran pratishtha' of Lord Ram (idol of Ram Lalla at a temple) in Ayodhya as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) event, thereby denying the existence of Lord Ram," he said. Nirupam declined to spell out his future course of action, but said he will contest the Lok Sabha poll and win. To a question on whether he will contest as an independent, he replied in negative.

Nirupam Names 5 Lobbies in Congress

Nirupam during his address on Thursday named 5 lobbies active within the Congress party alleging that they often clash with each other. 

“Earlier there used to be one power centre in the Congress party... but now there are five power centres in the Congress party and all five have their own lobbies which keep clashing with each other...In these five centres, first is Sonia Gandhi, second is Rahul Gandhi, third is Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, fourth is Mallikarjun Kharge and last is Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal ji... all of them are doing politics in their own way,” said Nirupam. 

Congress Expels Nirupam 

Taking note of complaints of indiscipline and anti-party statements, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge late Wednesday evening approved Sanjay Nirupam's expulsion from the party for six years with immediate effect. Earlier, the Congress dropped Nirupam's name as a star campaigner, indicating the crisis was escalating.

The demand for action against Nirupam grew after he castigated the Maharashtra Congress leadership for "ceding" constituencies in Mumbai to the Uddhav Thackeray-led party during seat-sharing talks of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance for Lok Sabha elections.