The Indian Youth Congress has suspended at least 185 members across seven states for missing the INDIA bloc's November 1 rally in New Delhi, with the number of disciplinary actions potentially rising to 500.
According to suspension letters accessed by NDTV, the party suspended members and sought explanations for their absence. Sources said the ongoing disciplinary review could eventually increase the number of suspensions to 500.
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The action has triggered resentment among some Youth Congress workers, who questioned the decision to penalise them despite years of service to the organisation.
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"We faced FIRs and went to jail for the party. Are we being removed just for missing one event?" Rohit Rajoria, a Youth Congress general secretary, said after being removed from his post without being given an opportunity to explain his absence.
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Rajoria told NDTV that he had served the Congress party's youth wing for 15 years but was now facing what he described as arbitrary treatment. During this period, he was named in 15 FIRs and jailed three to four times for participating in protests organised by the party.
Displaying an invitation to his late uncle's tervi (the traditional 13th-day memorial service), Rajoria said he had informed party leaders in advance about the family bereavement. He said this had prevented him from travelling to Delhi to attend Rahul Gandhi's November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan.
After being removed from his post for missing the event, Rajoria questioned how the party could expect to regain power under such circumstances.
Madhya Pradesh accounted for the highest number of suspensions, with 60 members facing disciplinary action. Gujarat followed with 49, while West Bengal recorded 26. The Youth Congress also suspended 14 members in Telangana, 13 in central Uttar Pradesh, 13 in Himachal Pradesh and 10 in Haryana.
The disciplinary action followed an attendance-monitoring exercise introduced by the Youth Congress ahead of the November 1 rally. The organisation had directed all its national, state and district-level members to participate in both the rally and the march preceding it.
To digitally monitor attendance, barcode scanners were set up at the Minto Road gathering point. Members and accompanying workers were instructed to register their presence through the organisation's official mobile app, 'With IYC'.
While the Youth Congress claimed that around 15,000 workers had gathered at Minto Road ahead of the march to Ramlila Maidan, internal data showed that only 2,831 participants had registered through the application.
An internal assessment attributed the gap to poor internet connectivity along the Minto Road–Ramlila Maidan route, workers' limited familiarity with technology and a lack of interest in using the app. It also found that several members had failed to attend the event without informing the organisation in advance.
"Our rally was extremely successful. More than 15,000 Youth Congress workers gathered. Most workers from across the country took part in the rally and march. But despite clear instructions, some office-bearers did not show discipline. So action has been taken to ensure accountability within the organisation," Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib told NDTV.
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"Irresponsible people have been removed from their posts so that hard-working workers can be given responsibility in their place. There is an atmosphere of change in the country. Next time, we can gather 50,000 people in Delhi. So the organisation needs to be led by people who are active," Chib added.
The Congress party's war room is also monitoring the attendance of senior party members and gathering feedback on district presidents appointed as part of an initiative to identify and nurture new leadership.
Meanwhile, the ruling BJP has challenged the Congress's claims of having mobilised support for the rally.
"In the Ramlila Maidan, 40 per cent of the space was vacant. Rahul Gandhi and his team claimed that 10 lakh people would attend. Out of 28,000 chairs, around 5,000-7,000 were empty," BJP MP Sambit Patra said.
Addressing the gathering alongside INDIA bloc leaders, including Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, Rahul Gandhi accused the authorities of widespread irregularities in electronic voting machines and voter lists.
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