Bhubaneswar, June 23 (IANS): The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), taking a tough stance over the ink attack on president Sarat Pattanayak, on Sunday expelled five party leaders for a period of six years on the charges of grave indiscipline.

The leaders who were expelled from the party include Prakash Mishra, General Secretary, OPCC, Shriyasmita Panda, General Secretary Odisha Pradesh Mahila Congress, Sandip Routray, Secretary, NSUI, Amresh Parida, State Secretary, Youth Congress and Aryan Sasmal, State Secretary, NSUI.

The OPCC's Disciplinary Action Committee in a letter on Sunday mentioned that the disturbing action of throwing ink at the party's state president on June 21 by some office bearers is a "very undisciplined act" which damaged the image of the party.

"Based on TV footage, for such anti-party and indisciplinary activities, Sarat Pattanayak, President, OPCC have expelled the following congress persons for a period of 6 years," read a letter issued by Santosh Singh Saluja, Chairman of the Disciplinary Action Committee.

The party had initially accused that some miscreants carried out the misdeed at the behest of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party or some other political party.

However, the expulsion order confirmed that the ink attack on Pattanayak was the handiwork of some disgruntled party workers.

It also brought to fore the internal party squabble which is a cause of concern for the Congress.