The Hindu : Antony should pacify minorities: Murali

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 09, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Antony should pacify minorities: Murali

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 8 . The outgoing Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, K. Muraleedharan, today expressed the hope that the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, would take necessary steps to clear the confusion prevailing among minority communities over his controversial statements regarding minority-majority equations.

Talking to mediapersons at the Indira Bhavan, Mr. Muraleedharan said that the Chief Minister would take such a step in the context of the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi's reported observation that it was for Mr. Antony to take a decision. "There has been no change in the United Democratic Front's (UDF) policies. But the controversial statement did create a lot of confusion among minority communities and this should be corrected," he said.

Asked whether his induction in the Cabinet would solve the current factional feud in the party, Mr. Muraleedharan said that the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) had initiated efforts to sort out the issues in the larger interests of the party. The main aim was to face the Lok Sabha elections united and win more number of seats that the previous occasion, he said. "The decisions are being taken not to further the interests of an individual, but that of the party," he added.

He admitted that there was a communication gap between the Congress high command and the veteran leader, K. Karunakaran. Steps would be taken to correct this, with the party leadership implementing a formula acceptable to Mr. Karunakaran.

Mr. Muraleedharan said that there was nothing wrong in the UDF partners demanding seats in the Lok Sabha elections. The Congress usually requests the smaller partners not to press their demand in view of the party's necessity to garner the maximum number of seats so that it could form a Government. Kerala happened to be one of the States where the party could win a sizeable number of seats.

"We are sure the UDF partners would understand the political imperatives before the Congress. In any case, the Congress will announce its candidates only after discussions on seat-sharing with the constituents," he said.

Replying to a question about his induction into the Cabinet, Mr. Muraleedharan said that it was part of the AICC decision to accommodate outgoing Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs in the Cabinet. He said that he had suggested the name of the KPCC vice-president, P.P. Thankachan, as his successor. "I hope that the party high command agrees to this, by taking due consideration of the fact that Mr. Thankachan happens to be a senior party leader," he explained.

Asked whether he shared the view that the CPI (M)'s stand on the current Congress crisis was a great loss for that party, Mr. Muraleedharan said that he did not hold such a view. "The CPI (M) only tried to do what any other Opposition party would have done in such a situation. There is no point in blaming them for trying to capitalise on the faction problems in the Congress. The Congress had also done so in the past, not only in the State but at the national level," he said.

His meeting with the media was a farewell of sorts. He said that he had completed one of the most important tasks before remitting office - the construction of the party's new office-building. He said that it was ready for occupation any time after its formal inauguration by the Congress president.

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