New Delhi, Dec 1: Union Minister Jairam Ramesh has been dropped from the high-profile "Group on future challenges" of the Congress which has Rahul Gandhi as its prominent member but there was no explanation as to why the decision was taken.

Ramesh, who is also an AICC Secretary, was the Convenor of the Group headed by senior party leader M Veerappa Moily.

The panel was constituted by party Chief Sonia Gandhi in September this year as a 'think tank' to go into the various issues that are confronting or likely to confront the organisation and the country

Moily said Ramesh ceased to be a member of the Group a day after its first meeting was held in September, but expressed ignorance about the reasons for his removal. The first meeting was held soon after the re-constitution of the AICC Secretariat as also the Group.

Ramesh, who is also a member of the National Advisory Council, which was earlier headed by Sonia Gandhi as UPA Chairperson, was not immediately available for comment.

A member of the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh, Ramesh had come under controversy in September as he demanded the resignation of Union Culture Minister Ambika Soni in the wake of the row over the Ram Setu affidavit.

The AICC had disapproved of Ramesh's going public on the issue and he had sought apologies from Soni.