THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after he stirred up a hornet’s nest by saying Jawaharlal Nehru accommodated communal fascism, state Congress president K Sudhakaran found himself completely isolated within the party. While several senior party leaders flayed Sudhakaran, a section of leaders approached the national leadership against him.
Even Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, who shares an excellent rapport with Sudhakaran, had to react against him owing to pressure from within the party and by UDF allies. Terming the remark serious, Satheesan said Congress will not allow anyone to dilute its secular stance. “It’s a remark that affects everyone in the party. We will hold thorough discussions,” he said.
Senior Congress leader K Muraleedharan told TNIE that a mere apology from Sudhakaran would not suffice. “Ever since Sudhakaran dragged the IUML leadership into a controversy, there’s tension within UDF. Owing to his repeated remarks favouring RSS, IUML is bound to express strong displeasure.
Sudhakaran should take the League leadership into confidence and correct his stand,” Muraleedharan said. IUML will hold a high-power committee meeting in Kozhikode on Wednesday to discuss the issue.
Sudhakaran’s predecessor Mullappally Ramachandran had on Monday said the party will discuss his controversial remarks.
Meanwhile, Congress national general secretary (organization) K C Venugopal termed the incident a closed chapter as Sudhakaran had apologised. However, he too is worried about IUML’s response, it is learnt. The only solace for Sudhakaran is that his loyalists like M Liju and Pazhakulam Madhu have backed him.
The Congress’ Political Affairs Committee which will meet in Kochi on Thursday will be crucial for Sudhakaran. It is possible the meet may be postponed owing to Sudhakaran’s inconvenience. However, if this happens, his detractors may claim Sudhakaran is scared of facing the party over the issue.
Sudhakaran shares our mindset: K Surendran
Kozhikode: BJP state president K Surendran said that recent statements by KPCC president K Sudhakaran prove that the latter shares the BJP’s mindset. Speaking to reporters in Kozhikode on Tuesday, Surendran said there are many others in the Congress who share Sudhakaran’s point of view. “But they are keeping quiet out of fear of the IUML,” he said, adding that the BJP is ready to protect such persons. “The IUML is preparing to jump to the LDF camp using the issue as an excuse.
Now, the IUML is the deciding factor in the Congress and has grown even bigger than the high command,” he said. Reacting to the state BJP chief’s remarks, Sudhakaran said Congressmen will not join the BJP alive. In a statement, Sudhakaran wondered whether Surendran’s statements were being scripted from the AKG Centre. “Such statements are a gift for saving the BJP leader from the Kodakara hawala case. Both the BJP and the CPM lost many seats in the recently-held elections to local bodies.
In Thrikkakkara, too, both parties lost miserably,” Sudhakaran said. “Kerala has seen both (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan and Surendran joining hands to defeat the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” he said. Citing incidents like inviting Amit Shah for the Nehru Trophy boat race and the inauguration of the Kannur airport, Sudhakaran said the Congress is not scared of central agencies, even as they continue to hunt its leaders.