Kolkata: Two months after CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Ritabrata Bandopadhyay was suspended from the party, the Bengal state committee is expected to decide his fate in a meeting on Tuesday.
On June 2, Ritabrata was suspended from the party for ‘leading a lavish life-style’ and using expensive watches and gadgets, going against the party’s ideology of leading a simple life.
On Monday, the matter was discussed at a party meet and members expressed had mixed opinions over his fate. “There is a division of opinion about Ritabrata’s future, but things will get clear today,” a senior party member told News 18.
“A majority of the members are in favour of taking stern action against him and there are chances that he could be in trouble. Also, former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who backed Ritabrata on many occasions is yet to comment on this,” the leader said while adding that members may have to vote in order to take a decision.
Ritabrata was accused of indulging in expensive gadgets that goes against his party’s austere ways. It all started with him uploading a picture where he a social media user spotted him wearing an Apple watch. A CPI(M) worker then picked it up to ask the party that how could the Rajya Sabha member afford such luxuries.
The communist party then issued a public warning to Ritabrata who had threatened the CPI(M) worker for ‘maligning’ his image and making hate speeches.
Opposition parties did not let go of this chance and took potshots at Ritabrata for his expensive properties like the famous Apple watch, a Mont Blanc pen and other expensive gadgets.
Going by party norms, the state committee decision will be sent to the Politburo and then to the central committee for the final decision. On August 2, a three-member committee headed by senior party member Mohd Salim submitted its report to party secretariat.
Ritabarata is known to be very close to Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee who recommended Ritabrata’s name for the Rajya Sabha seat. Over the years he has developed serious differences with the Left Front Chairman Biman Bose.
On many occasions, Bose has raised several issues with senior party leaders, and Ritabrata was warned to maintain party decorum.
Sources said, the party was also miffed with Ritabrata for meeting BJP ministers and representatives of big industrial houses in New Delhi. The party has sought an explanation for these meetings.
The Communist party finally decided to show the door to Ritabrata when he abandoned CPI(M) Politburo member and Lok Sabha member Mohd Salim to face police lathicharge during the ‘Nabanna Chalo Abhiyan’ on May 22.
On that day, the Rajya Sabha member was an active organizer of the rally but he is alleged to have disappeared when police resorted to lathicharge to chase the party workers.
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