KANNUR: Senior Congress leader and former union minister KV Thomas on Friday received a rousing reception when he arrived at the international airport here to take part in a seminar organised by the CPI(M) as part of its ongoing 23rd Party Congress.
CPI(M) district secretary M V Jayarajan received Thomas at the airport by draping a red shawl.
The reception accorded to Thomas assumes importance as the senior Congress leader came to attend the seminar on "Centre-State relations" on April 9 defying the edict of the party high command.
The Congress leader had said he would take part in a seminar being organised by the ruling CPI(M) as part of its ongoing party congress in Kannur, but made it clear that he would not quit the party and remain as a Congressman till his last breath.
The seminar on April 9 is on "Centre-State relations" in which Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin are also participating.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor was invited for this seminar but he was denied permission by the Congress party.
Thomas was invited for another seminar "challenges faced by secularism", but could not participate in it because the Congress denied permission.
However, later, he said he will participate in the Centre-State relations seminar as it was a "national issue".
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan on Friday said the KPCC would take an appropriate decision on the action to be taken against Thomas in case he participates in the seminar.
The leader had the moral responsibility to obey the party's directive, Satheesan added.