Below we publish the statement issued by Surjya Kanta Mishra, Polit Bureau member and secretary of West Bengal state committee of CPI(M), on September 17.

RITABRATA Bandopadhyay has been expelled from the primary membership of the Party under clause 19(13) of the Constitution for grave anti-party activities.

Ritabrata Bandopadhyay has been cautioned publicly by Party state committee in last February for breaking the Party discipline. He was asked to rectify himself and refrain from misusing social media. Later on, the Party state committee meeting held on June 1-2, had resolved to constitute a three-member enquiry commission to investigate four serious allegations against him. Under the provision of the Party Constitution he was suspended from the primary membership of the Party for three months till the enquiry was completed. He was allowed to defend himself in that state committee where he assiduously stated that the Party was his guardian and he would strictly abide by the discipline and accept the decision of the state committee whatever action would have to be taken following the report of the enquiry commission.

The allegations were: 1) continuous leakage of internal party matters and discussions to the media; 2) moral degeneration in relation to women. 3) serious inconsistencies between his income and expenditure; 4) lavish life-style incompatible with the member of the Party. A section of media took his side and criticised the state Party leadership for the decision of the state committee. The enquiry commission extensively recorded statements and evidences of the Party members who were in the know of the things. He was heard four times by the commission comprehensively on numerous allegations on the aforesaid four areas. Though he failed to disprove most of the serious charges against him, he seemed to be not at all repentant.

In its report, the enquiry commission found him outright guilty. He had been given the charge-sheet by the state committee on the basis of findings of the enquiry commission. His reply to the charge-sheet was considered to be totally unfounded.  Repeatedly, the Party tried its best to help him rectify but failed. He has refused to rectify himself and persistently continued to malign the image of the Party by various means. In accordance with the commission’s findings, the state committee has decided in the August 7-8 meeting to take penal measures against him and informed the matter to the Central Committee. Although he deserved stringent punishment it was not extended considering certain aspects including the hope of saving him as the last resort so that he could be able to maintain Party life.

The decision of the state committee was communicated to the Central Committee. Instead of complying with the Party discipline, he resorted to malign the Party publicly with the help of a section of a media including an organised interview in a TV channel on September 11 where he ridiculously raised personal and political differences in the Party in tune with the tirade of the enemies of the Party and which are not only unfounded but shop-soiled stories of the inimical forces.   

Considering his grave anti-party and anti-communist role, the state secretariat of the Party has taken the decision of summarily expelling him from the primary membership of the Party on September 13.