Kolkata: Former Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) parliamentarian Anil Basu, who had acquired infamy for his lewd comments against Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, has been expelled on the charge of "grievous indiscipline and anti-party activities".
The decision to expel Basu from the party comes after he was slapped a three-month suspension for indulging in corruption and nepotism.
A defiant Basu, during his suspension period had called a media conference with his wife Sabita and threatened to file a defamation case against state party secretary Biman Bose.
"A three-member committee was formed to investigate the complaints that were made against Basu. According to the recommendation of this committee, he was suspended from the party for three months April 29. But during the suspension period, he had called a media conference and conducted a grievous indiscipline, which is against the rules of the party," Bose said in a statement.
"The state committee June 6 recommended his expulsion from the party following his anti-party remarks in public, which is against the rules of the party. The central committee has accepted the recommendation," said the statement.
Basu, a Hooghly district strongman, is the first heavyweight leader from the state to be expelled from the party following its drubbing in the 2011 assembly polls.
He was earlier dropped from the state committee as a part of the "purification process", which the CPI-M had started to weed out undesirable elements alleged to be involved in unethical practices.
In the run-up to the assembly elections last year, Basu had called Banerjee names which led to widespread condemnation. This is also believed to have cost the CPI-M a sizeable number of votes.
IANS
