THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has cancelled all his official engagements till December 28, as he left for the United States from New Delhi on Saturday night, along with Congress Working Committee member A K Antony.
He is accompanying Antony for the latter’s medical check-up at Mayo Clinic in the US.
Ramesh had flown to New Delhi from here on Friday evening. Both Antony and Ramesh were among those leaders who were present in the Delhi court on Saturday afternoon when Congress president Sonia Gandhi and son Rahul availed of bail in the National Herald case.
It is learnt that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had urged Ramesh to accompany Antony, in view of some suspected health issues of the septuagenarian leader.
Meeting of Kerala Leaders cancelled
In view of the absence of Chennithala, a meeting of top Congress leaders from Kerala, slated at the instance of the party High Command for Tuesday (December 22) has been cancelled. The revised schedule of the meeting will be declared later. CM Oommen Chandy, Ramesh and KPCC president V M Sudheeran were summoned earlier by the party leadership in the wake of the setbacks suffered by the UDF in the local body polls. Political circles were looking forward for the Tuesday meet since it is being held in the midst of the ‘letter controversy’, apart from other internal issues related to party state unit and functioning of the government.
Aryadan to Hold Temporary Charge In view of his US trip, the charge of the Home and Vigilance portfolios held by Ramesh Chennithala has been temporarily assigned to Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed.