THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress’ political relevance and role had never been lost since its inception 133 years ago and these are all the more important in the country’s current political milieu, KPCC president M M Hassan said here on Thursday. Hassan was also severe on the BJP and Sangh Parivaar forces for working overtime to rewrite the country’s Constitution and do away with the basic tenets of secularism and democracy.
“The Congress is committed to ensuring the defeat of these forces by upholding secularism and nationalism and strengthening democracy,’’ he said.
Inaugurating the founding day celebrations of the Congress at the KPCC headquarters here, Hassan said Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde’s controversial remark on secularists,since withdrawn, should be seen in the context of the Sangh Parivaar forces’ persistent efforts on this front.
He hit out at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPM state chief Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, accusing them of indirectly trying to give the impression there is no alternative to the BJP in the country by opposing any political truck with the Congress .
‘’The BJP’s ‘B’ team is at work in the CPM. Pinarayi and Kodiyeri spoke against CPM national boss Sitharam Yechury at the ongoing CPM district meets .It speaks volumes about factionalism in the party’s state unit and the moves against Yechury and also shed light on why a section in the CPM is opposing the Congress’ proposal to forge an anti-BJP alliance of all secular and democratic forces,’’ he said.
MLAs V S Sivakumar, K S Sabarinathan and M Vincent; former Speaker N Sakthan and Deputy Speaker Palode Ravi; KPCC general secretaries, Thampanoor Ravi , T Sarathchandra Prasad and others attended .
The party’s founding day celebrations were held across the state under the aegis of the respective DCCs.
Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, Hassan and Oommen Chandy MLA inaugurated the fete at Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram and Kottayam, respectively while the rest of the senior party brass inaugurated it at the other centres. Hassan hoisted the party flag at the KPCC headquarters Indira Bhavan here.
Damage control
M M Hassan continued his attempts at damage control in the wake of his ‘hail A K Antony , hail K Karunakaran’ as he swore his allegiance and commitment to Oommen Chandy and A K Antony. ‘’ I had the fortune to work in various levels of the party. It was Oommen Chandy who helped my ascent in politics. Antony extended all support to me. Antony,Chandy and Vayalar Ravi are my revered leaders,’’ he said ,’’ I will not try to praise anyone leader or browbeat another in the party. I believe in the Congress’ ideology,” he said.