Bhubaneswar, March 17: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has issued showcause notices to its three leaders - Congress chief whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati, MLA Prafulla Majhi and Ananta Sethi - for "speaking out against the state leadership and indulging in anti-party activities".

OPCC disciplinary committee chairman Sandhya Mohapatra told The Telegraph: "On the All India Congress Committee's direction, notices were issued to these leaders. The three leaders have been making comments for the past few months that are detrimental to the party's interests. At the time of the panchayat polls and also after the results were announced, these leaders continued to air their views in public, causing serious damage to the party."

She said: "The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has scrutinised the developments and asked the OPCC to issue notices to them. They have been asked to submit their replies within seven days."

Bahinipati, Majhi and Sethi openly demanded resignations of the AICC general secretary in charge of the state B.K. Hariprasad and said the party had faced debacle in the panchayat polls because of the lack of a co-ordinated effort.

After Hariprasad had sent his resignation to the leadership (which was subsequently turned down), Bahinipati and Sethi said that it would have been better for the party had both Hariprasad and OPCC president Prasad Harichandan resigned earlier.

Prafulla Majhi had also alleged a Rs 1 crore deal being struck between the Congress and the BJD to form zila parishad in Sundargarh.

However, Majhi today said: "I am a disciplined soldier of the party. I have raised the issue in the interests of the state and the party."

Bahinipati also claimed that whatever he had said earlier was "in the interest of the party".

Sethi feigned innocence and said that he was yet to get a copy of the showcause notice. "I have been in the party for 35 years. I don't know what mistake I have committed," he said.