Rift widens in Delhi Cong over demand for Chacko's removal

The rift within Delhi Congress widened on Saturday with one of the factions demanding disciplinary action against leaders who had demanded removal of the party's national capital unit in-charge P C Chacko.

A letter purportedly signed by 14 district Congress presidents was sent to party Chief Sonia Gandhi for disciplinary action against five leaders who had levelled allegations of corruption against Chacko and demanded Gandhi to form a committee to probe the matter in a press conference on Friday.

Authenticity of the letter could not be verified.

Mangat Ram Singhal, Kiran Walia and Delhi Congress spokespersons Ramakant Goswami and Jitender Kochar had also accused Chacko of "leaking" a personal letter written by Sandeep Dikshit, son of former chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

Sandeep Dikshit has accused Chacko of "leaking" his personal letter to the media.

The Delhi Congress just a few months before the Assembly polls, due early next year, is caught in a damaging infighting.

One of the leaders who held the press conference against Chacko, claimed that the "so-called" letter written to Gandhi had "fake" signatures of many district presidents.

The Congress High Command has forwarded Sandeep Dikshit's letter to Chacko to party's disciplinary committee for further action.

Sources said the letter written by Sandeep Dikshit held Chacko responsible for sudden demise of the former Delhi chief minister.

The 81-year-old former three time chief minister who also held the Delhi Congress president post, passed away on July 20 this year due to illness.

The post of Delhi Congress president is lying vacant since her death.