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All Indira loyalists welcome to rally: Thankachan

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI NOV. 15. All Congress leaders and workers who are loyal to the memory of the late Indira Gandhi are welcome to participate in the rally being organised on November 19 to mark the birthday of the former Prime Minister, said the KPCC vice-president, P.P. Thankachan.

Addressing a news conference here today, Mr. Thankachan, who is also the reception committee chairman, said the rally would be held complying with the High Court directive on rallies. All arrangements for the smooth conduct of the rally had been made, including the arrival of the more than 6,000 vehicles carrying Congress workers from all over the State, he said.

The vehicles arriving in the city till 12-30 p.m. could be parked at Manappatty Parambu and Foreshore Road, while vehicles arriving after that till 2 p.m. should be parked in the International Stadium, Kaloor. After 2-30 p.m. no vehicles carrying the party workers would be allowed to enter the city. The rally will begin from the International Stadium at 2 p.m. and conclude at `Priyadarshini Nagar,' set up in the Marine Drive, where a public meeting will be inaugurated by the senior Congress leader, K. Karunakaran at 4 p.m.

The venue will have two gates named after the late George Eden and A.L. Jacob. The portrait of Indira Gandhi to be displayed at the venue would be brought by V.J. Paulose, MLA, and K.P. Babu from Kothamangalam on November 18.

Mr. Thankachan said that only KPCC office-bearers, DCC president, Ministers, MLAs and MPs would be allowed to occupy the specially-designed 5,000-sq.feet stage. Facilities for offering prayers and breaking the fast for Muslim party workers would be provided in a separate `pandal' adjacent to the venue.

Mr. Karunakaran would be camping in the city from Monday to oversee the preparations for the programme, Mr. Thankachan said. He would address a news conference on Monday in which major policy decisions would be made clear.

The KPCC general secretary, N. Venugopal, who is also the reception committee general convener, said the entire `anti-Karunakaran' faction was made up of people who had stood against Indira Gandhi during the splits of 1968 and 1978.

Only those who had not renounced Indira Gandhi would attend the rally, he said.

Congress leaders, including the district panchayat president, K.B. Muhammedkutty Master, the KPCC secretary, T.M. Zakkir Husain, the executive committee member, T.P. Hassan, the DCC secretary and reception committee convener, Leno Jacob, K.C. Ramesh and M. Premachandran were also present.

Mr. Thankachan also released an audio cassette containing songs for the rally.

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