Bengal CPIM drops party's Rajya Sabha MP Ritabrata Banerjee from state committee

KOLKATA: Bengal CPIM on Tuesday removed it's Rajya Sabha MP and party's youth leader Ritabrata Banerjee from the state committee following a report of the party commission which found him guilty of leaking secret information to the media and enemy camp as well as for having a lavish lifestyle.

The decision to oust Banerjee from the state committee was taken during the last day of the two-day state committee meeting of the party which concluded on Tuesday. Party's general secretary Sitaram Yechuri also attended the meeting. Ritabrata had been under suspension for the past three months and was removed from the state committee on Tuesday.

There had been complaints against the young MP for living lavishly. CPIM insiders also said that the party had received complaints against Ritabrata who had reportedly leaked party secret to the media and to the enemy camp. Following such complaints, the party had suspended him for three months and formed an inquiry commission headed by party MP Md Salim, to find out truths behind such allegations.

The three-member commission comprising Salim, party's central committee member Mridul Dey and state secretariat member Madan Ghosh had gone through the allegations against Ritabrata and submitted report to the state committee.

CPIM state secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra told reporters after the state unit meeting that the party MP was removed from the state committee following report of the party's inquiry commission. Mishra said that the MP would have to rectify himself.