THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Coming down heavily against dropping from its constitution the clause of abstinence from alcohol and wearing khadi as a requirement for Congress members, senior leader V M Sudheeran said the party is disowning the freedom movement and Gandhian values through the amendments.
Former state Congress president Sudheeran has written to party president Mallikarjun Kharge and former presidents expressing his protest and has appealed to withdraw the decision for the best interest of the party and people.
Sudheeran has termed the decision as most unfortunate, undesirable, and objectionable. He said that for decades abstinence from alcohol and the khadi movement were part of the freedom struggle and were a slogan and proud identity for the Congress. “By amending this clause, our party in a way is disowning the freedom movement and Gandhian values. There is no justification in the argument that since violation is taking place, the clause has to be replaced. It is just like arguing that the penal laws shall be repealed because crimes are taking place. It has to be seriously noted that this amendment has been adopted at a time when alcohol and substance use has emerged as a major public health and social problem in the country,” he said.
Sudheeran also cautioned the leadership that the decision of the Raipur plenary will no doubt have far-reaching consequences and encourage the promotion and sales of liquor in the country. “I feel this amendment, is a suicidal retract from the traditional values and norms, which the Congress party has been proudly upholding and practising for years”, he added.
Meanwhile, Opposition leader V D Satheesan told TNIE that there is some confusion in the amendment on the abstinence from alcohol. “We don’t know what happened. In view of the ongoing controversy, we will seek more clarity from the AICC leadership on this issue. On sending a letter to Mallikarjun Kharge by V M Sudheeran, the Opposition leader declined to respond. Congress state working president Kodikkunnil Suresh alleged that even after the AICC leadership made amendment explaining the use of intoxicants and other psychotropic substances, the effort to distort it is ill-motivated.