The sacked leader said he would never use such words for Rahul Gandhi. (File photo) The sacked leader said he would never use such words for Rahul Gandhi. (File photo)

Congress party’s Meerut district president Vinay Pradhan applauded Rahul Gandhi but chose the infamous sobriquet — Pappu — usually used by the party vice-president’s critics. Pradhan had allegedly sent the post in the party’s local WhatsApp group that went viral in no time. He was soon removed from his post.

The sacked Congress leader, however, denied sending the message and cried foul. “This is an effort by some people in the party to malign me. I have not sent any such message. The screenshots being circulated have been photoshopped. I respect Rahul Gandhiji and would never use such language for him,” he was quoted as saying by the Times of India. Pradhan also said the party did not hear him out before removing him from all posts.

“Rahul Gandhi is also known as Pappu by a section of people in this country. People of this country are witness to the fact that Pappu has never taken to a lavish lifestyle,” the WhatsApp message reads.

“Pappu never took part in the parties thrown by industrialists like Adani and Ambani because Pappu knew that these people would only exploit the common people’s resources. Pappu could have easily become the Prime Minister of this country but he did not,” the message reads further.

According to The Hindu, district party spokesperson Abhimanyu Tyagi wrote to senior party leaders seeking Pradhan’s ouster. The disciplinary committee chairperson, Ramkrishna Dwivedi, sacked Pradhan after consulting with Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee chief Raj Babbar.

“This is an attempt to malign the party leadership. Other parties appear to be involved in this. It is also an effort to divert attention from the main issues, like the plight of farmers in Madhya Pradesh,” Dwivedi wrote in a letter as per Times of India. “Vinay Pradhan is guilty of violating the constitution of Congress party,” he added.

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