Thiruvananthapuram: Congress worker Simi Rosebell John, who had claimed that women members need "sponsorship" from party leaders to rise in the ranks, was expelled from the grand old party on Sunday.

Disciplinary action was taken because prima facie the party was convinced that John's act was a serious breach of discipline, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) said in a statement here.

Women leaders of KPCC's political affairs committee, female office-bearers of the PCC and the Mahila Congress chief requested the party leadership in a joint complaint to take action against John, a former AICC member, the statement further said. Based on this, Congress' Kerala unit president K Sudhakaran took action against Simi Rosebell John, KPCC general secretary M Liju said in the statement.

The leader made the allegations with an objective to defame and mentally harass lakhs of women leaders and workers of the Congress, the party leadership further charged. Reacting to the action against her, the woman leader, however, said women of dignity and pride cannot work in the Congress party.

If the party leadership has any evidence to prove their allegations, it should be released, she told reporters in Kochi. "Thus, they have expelled a person who has worked for the party for a long time. They should explain the reason for their action. If they are alleging conspiracy with the CPI(M), they should release evidence for that," John said. Rosebell, in her recent interview to a TV channel, had made these allegations and had claimed that those not in the good books of party leaders, like Satheesan, are sidelined.

She had also alleged that she was denied certain opportunities in the party due to the objections of leaders like Satheesan and Hibi Eden. In view of her allegations, the ruling CPI(M) on Saturday took a dig at the Congress by claiming that the grand old party has a "power group" similar to the one allegedly in the film industry.
(With PTI inputs)