After coming out against the high command for the state of affairs within and the heavyweights for turning down the Ram Temple invitation, Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam was expelled from the party for six years over indiscipline and anti-party remarks, according to an official statement issued on Saturday.

The decision was taken by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday after a proposal seeking his dismissal from the party was mooted by the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.

“In view of the complaints of indiscipline and repeated statements against the party. Congress President has approved the proposal of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee to expel Pramod Krishnam from the party for six years with immediate effect,” read an official statement issued by the Congress on Saturday.

Of late, Acharya Pramod Krishnam was in the crosshairs of his party with his public statements against the decision of Congress heavyweights–national president Kharge, former presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi–to decline the invitation to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Shri Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22.

He also came out openly against his party high command over the perceived slackness in its preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and the disorder and rising differences in the Opposition bloc–INDIA while praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the decades-old Ram Temple movement to a logical end.

Labelling as ‘unfortunate’ the decision by the Congress top leadership to turn down the invitation, Acharya Pramod Krishnam said, “Ram Sabke Hain (Lord Ram belongs to all)”.

“Ram sabke hain (Lord Ram belongs to everyone). All that I would say is that turning down the invitation to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony was unfortunate,” Acharya Krishnam told ANI in an interview earlier.

Heaping praise on PM Modi, the dissident Congress leader said had it not been for him, Ram Mandir would never have been a reality.

“From Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehrum till today, the country has seen many PMs. But none made such a big effort to fulfil a long-held demand or wish. I commend the Prime Minister for his leadership and efforts to take the Ram Temple movement to its logical end,” he said.

Earlier, on January 29, Acharya Krishnam also took a dig at Rahul’s ongoing ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, saying that while all other political parties are gearing up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress seemed to be gearing up for the “2029 elections”.

“Congress has some great and intelligent leaders. While all other parties around them have begun hectic preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress is happy indulging in political tourism and travel. It would seem that the Congress has hit upon a ploy to win the 2024 elections after this year passes. Or rather, it almost looks as if we have already given up on 2024 and are preparating for the 2029 elections. Had we been preparing earnestly for 2024, things wouldn’t have come to this,” Acharya Krishnam told ANI earlier.

After the politically significant exit of Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) Supremo, Nitish Kumar, from the Congress-led INDIA bloc and return to the BJP-led NDA, the now-expelled Congress leader said the Opposition alliance no longer exists.

“I believe there is no such thing as INDIA any more. The alliance contracted multiple serious ailments and afflictions at birth. Then it slipped into the ICU and ventilator. Eventually, it was Nitish Kumar (one of the key architects of the Bloc) who performed its last rights in Patna. I don’t think it exists any longer,” Acharya Krishnam said.