Chaturvedi gets abusive, removed

NEW DELHI: Satyavrat Chaturvedi is understood to have been relieved of his duties as Congress spokesperson after he made indecent remarks about NCP leader and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar. This is not the first time that Mr Chaturvedi has embarrassed the party with his intemperate language. However, the latest outburst appears to have happened in the full glare of the media, resulting in objections being raised by NCP.

NCP objected strongly to the use of “uncivilised language” against Mr Pawar. NCP spokesperson D P Tripathi said: “This is an uncivilised statement...even Congress President Sonia Gandhi would not tolerate such an exhibition of incivility. We are going to take up the issue with Congress high command and we are sure it will disapprove such an expression.”

The matter is understood to have been raised with the Congress leadership over the weekend. It is not just Mr Pawar who has been at the receiving end. Ahead of the last general elections, at a time when Congress was trying to work out a deal with SP, Mr Chaturvedi lashed out at the then SP general secretary Amar Singh.

The Congress spokesperson had said that Mr Singh required “mental treatment”. At that time, the party had, in a bid to please SP, said that it would drop Mr Chaturvedi from its panel of spokespersons. However, though he continued to retain the official position, he was removed from active service as a party spokesperson.