Move to dissolve MPCC hailed

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, AUG. 18. Most Congressmen here have responded positively to the high command's decision yesterday to dissolve the entire State unit (allowing however the MPCC chief, Mr. Radha Krishan Malviya, to continue) of the party. The action comes in the wake of the recent shooting incident involving two general secretaries of the party.

The image of the State unit took a nose-dive recently after the general secretary and State party office in-charge, Mr. Inder Prajapat, shot at and critically wounded another general secretary, Mr. Manak Agrawal.

The decision to disband the MPCC comes on the basis of the report submitted by a two-member team which interacted with a wide cross-section of Congressmen in the State. Some of the leaders lobbying for the ouster of Mr. Malviya were blaming him for ``patronising criminal and anti-social elements'' and it was their contention that the shooting incident was a direct corollary of this.

However, Mr. Malviya never found himself isolated in the post- shooting phase as he continued to retain the full support of the Chief Minister, Mr. Digvijay Singh. After Mr. Manak Agrawal issued a statement from hospital that the MPCC president was himself involved in the conspiracy to eliminate him, the Chief Minister asserted at a press conference here that he had known Mr. Malviya for several decades and could vouch for the fact that he could never do such a thing.

The decision to retain Mr. Malviya is being viewed as a major victory for Mr. Digvijay Singh and Malviya supporters are happy with the final turn of events.

Commenting on the latest development, the MPCC legal cell chairman, Mr. J.P. Dhanopia, said the dissolution of the PCC should be viewed as an opportunity to bring in only those with a clean image to run the party organisation. He emphasised that only young leaders with a clean image should be appointed office- bearers. This is very crucial for the party's success in the next election, he added.

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