Thiruvananthapuram : The spectre of infighting is back in state Congress. And in typical fashion, it is Muraleedharan who is speaking his mind publicly. Muraleedharan was sore over not being slotted to speak at Vaikom Satyagragha centenary function. Muraleedharan said, It’s best to stop singing while the voice is still fine; If party does not need my services anymore, I am ready to go away". He later also informed his discontent to AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal.
The national leadership takes grave view of the fact that the centenary celebration venue of Vaikom Satyagraha served to be stage to internal strife. The ocentenary celebrations was also the first time that Malikarjun Kharge visited Kerala after being elected as Congress’s national president.
At the function, both K Muraleedharan and Shashi Tharoor were denied turn to address audience. K Muraleedharan , who is also a former KPCC president, did not initially even have a seat on the dais. Muraleedharan started by asking why he was left out while all former KPCC presidents were invited to the occasion . K Sudhakaran's responded saying maybe it slipped off the mind of persons in charge of arrangements.
K Muraleedharan blamed K Sudhakaran for exclusion dished out to him and brought the mater to attention of the central leadership. Only KPCC President K Sudhakaran, Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan, former KPCC Presidents Ramesh Chennithala and MM Hasan spoke at the function. MP Shashi Tharoor, who participated who had come over with special invite from K Sudhakarn, is also unhappy about not being allowed to address the event. Meanwhile, several senior leaders have grievances over being ignored at the Vaikom satyagraha centenary celebration. According to sources, more leaders are expected to be vocal in coming days.
Earlier, as MPs, K Muraleeidharan and MK Raghavan had taken open stand against KPCC leadership. Following this, K Sudhakaran issued Show cause notices to both. It turned controversial. Muraleedharan responded saying there was freedom of expression in the party but now, only those who remain silent of leadership’s mismanagement find a place in the Party. Muraleedharan also said he will not contest the Lok Sabha or Assembly elections. MK Raghavan also responded in similar vein. It is Party’s way now to discard people after using theim thoroughly. The atmosphere now is that one cannot express disagreement or raise criticism in the Party. Even League has restored in-Party democracy, said MK Raghavan.
