Guwahati, Sep 15 : Assam Congress President Bhupen Borah on Sunday said that the show-cause notice to five leaders is an internal matter of the party and it should not be made public.

He told reporters here, 'This was purely an internal matter of the party. I am very much disappointed that this surfaced before the public. It must not have happened in this way. I have spoken to the other leaders of the party and everybody accepted that it should have remained within the party only.'

'I was not in Assam for the last six days. I have taken up this issue as I have returned today,' Borah said, adding that the opposition party maintains democracy and it does not function like the BJP.

Notably, the Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) of Assam Congress issued show-cause notices to five party leaders, including three current MLAs, for alleged involvement in 'anti-party activities' during this year's Lok Sabha polls. The five leaders were given seven days time to respond to the show-cause notice.

Three legislators -- Abdur Rashid Mondol, Rekibuddin Ahmed, and Bharat Chandra Narah along with Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress President Mira Barthakur, and Hailakandi District Congress Committee President Samsuddin Barlaskar, were issued show-cause notices.

The accusations include utilising social media platforms improperly to harm the party's reputation and making public remarks that went against party doctrine and leadership.

Before sending out the notices, the DAC, which was presided over by Vice-President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Nripendra Thakuria, held lengthy discussions with party members and officials. The committee examined 56 complaints from members and candidates who ran in the elections, as well as from committees inside the party's Block Congress and District Congress.

The show-cause notice mentioned, 'The committee physically verified the ground realities in districts such as South Salmara-Mankachar, Goalpara, and Kamrup (Rural) to identify those involved in anti-party activities during the elections. These actions are considered a breach of party discipline.'

It added that the DAC's decision was made in consultation with AICC General Secretary Jitendra Singh and APCC President Bhupen Kumar Borah, who both supported the need to uphold party discipline.

/IANS