Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader Suresh Kumar Routray, popularly known as Sura Routray, broke down in tears after he returned to the party headquarters after a gap of nine months. 

Soon after order of expulsion was revoked on the senior leader following appointment of Bhakta Charan Das as the President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC), former Jatni MLA accompanied by his elder son Sidharth Routray reached Congress Bhawan in Bhubaneswar today and the politician was in tears to express his long-supressed emotions.

"I am back to my home after 9 months. Thank you Rahul Gandhi, Congress and Bhakta Das for bringing me to my home. I was sacked from the party and it was injustice to me. I am so happy. I have returned to my home today with great happiness and joy," Routray said. 

"Congress Bhawan is a temple for me and I have been worshipping Jawaharlal Nehru (India's first Prime Minister) since 1962. Today, I can sleep properly after a long time," he said bowing down at the party office. 

Notably, Suresh Routray was expelled from Congress on grounds of indiscipline and anti-party activities  ahead of assembly and lok sabha elections last year. He was dismissed from the party for a period of six years. 

Days before expulsion, he had resigned from all poll-related committees of the Congress party soon after his younger son Manmath Routray joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha and got MP ticket to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Bhubaneswar constituency.

After Bhakta Das assumed the charge as the chief of Odisha PCC, he revoked the expulsion order issued earlier against Routray.