NEW DELHI: The central leadership of Congress swung into damage control mode after Kerala Congress Chief K Sudhakaran stoked controversy by his ‘unsavoury remarks on India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Miffed by Sudhakaran’s remarks that Nehru was willing to “compromise with communal fascism” to accommodate RSS leader Syama Prasad Mukherjee in his cabinet, the top leadership asked the Congress Chief’ to refrain from making controversial statements.
Sudhakaran later retracted his remarks, after apparent intervention from the top leadership. On Monday, while speaking on the occasion of Nehru’s birth anniversary, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and Lok Sabha member K Sudhakaran said, “Nehru is the symbol of the democratic consciousness that made BR Ambedkar the law minister. He was magnanimous enough to make RSS leader Syama Prasad Mukherjee a minister in his own cabinet. He has large-heartedness to even compromise with communal fascism for democracy,” said the senior Congress leader.
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Speaking to this newspaper, AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Tariq Anwar said that he advised Sudhakaran to refrain from making any controversial statements while speaking to the media. The central leadership stepped in after national media reported on it. Last week Sudhakaran ran into another controversy saying that Congress supported RSS shakhas from CPI (M) attacks.
“I spoke to him after reading press clips on his statements.. I cautioned him to avoid controversial comments to the media. He has now clarified that it was a slip of tongue. I don’t think his intention was to defame Nehru. He may have used the wrong word. I think he wanted to say that Nehru has accommodated even Syama Prasad Mukherjee in his cabinet as he is a large- hearted person,” said Anwar.