India’s largest opposition party, the Indian National Congress, issued Thursday a show-cause notice to its spokesperson Alok Sharma over his remarks against another member and former Chief Minister of the Madhya Pradesh (MP) state Kamal Nath. Sharma made those remarks in a recent interview with the news channel 4pm.

The official X (formerly Twitter) handle of the Madhya Pradesh State Congress unit stated that Sharma has been issued a notice by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for his unwarranted, baseless, objectionable and undignified remarks against the former president and ex-chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath. It also shared the show-cause notice, which reprimands Sharma and said, “These statements, coming from a senior office bearer such as yourself, are not only unauthorized, baseless and defamatory but also demonstrate an attempt to undermine the Party and your senior colleagues.”

The notice further stated that it is imperative to acknowledge the sanctity of party discipline as a member of the Indian National Congress, and any breach carries significant repercussions. It also said, “You [Sharma] are hereby put to notice and given two days from the receipt of this notice to provide your clarification on your statements.”

The notice stipulates if the clarification is not received within the stipulated time frame or is deemed unsatisfactory, necessary action will be initiated against Sharma.

After Congress’s defeat in the December 2023 MP state election, Sharma gave an interview with 4pm in which he criticized Nath for granting an interview to a journalist blacklisted by the INDIA alliance, the political coalition of opposition parties in India, during the MP election campaign. Sharma expressed disappointment over Nath’s actions, claiming that the entire Congress had objected to it.

Sharma also raised suspicions about Nath’s activities over the five years, suggesting a potential understanding with the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP). He questioned whether Nath intentionally hindered the formation of the government in MP and criticized senior leaders for not recognizing this. Sharma accused Nath of arrogance in constituency ticket distribution to candidates, attributing it to spoiling the entire election atmosphere, and deemed the situation unfortunate.

Legislative assembly elections took place in Madhya Pradesh on November 17, 2023. The results were subsequently announced on December 3, 2023. The BJP emerged victorious, securing 163 out of the 230 seats. Also, Congress became the second-largest party by winning 66 seats. Moreover, a local tribal party named Bharat Adivasi Party also secured one seat.