New Delhi/Lucknow, Oct 11 (IANS): A day after a woman leader was allegedly manhandled by party workers in Uttar Pradesh's Deoria, the Congress on Sunday expelled two state leaders Deendayal Yadav and Ajay Kumar Sainthwar for "indiscipline".

State unit President Ajay Kumar Lallu has constituted a three-member team to probe the matter, and submit a report within three days. The Congress has also alleged that this incident was staged to give the party a bad name.

As per reports, a group of men alleged to be Congress workers thrashed a woman party leader in Uttar Pradesh for questioning the candidature of a man, she accused of being a rapist, for the upcoming bypolls.

According to sources, the woman identified as Tara Yadav protested over the ticket given to Congress candidate Mukund Bhaskar Mani Tripathi from Deoria.

She said that when she told party's Secretary Sachin Naik that he has given the ticket to the wrong man and "this will spoil the image of the party in the society. Give it to someone with a good character", she was beaten up.

National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma said that she will be taking cognizance of the issue.

"How all these sick minded people come in politics...??" she asked on Twitter.