The Hindu : Convene KPCC executive: `I' group rebels

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 22, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Convene KPCC executive: `I' group rebels

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 21. The "I" group rebels have demanded the convening of the KPCC executive to discuss the proposed disciplinary action against the PCC general secretaries, Rajmohan Unnithan and T Saratchandra Prasad. They have also demanded that the matter be referred to the KPCC disciplinary action committee, instead of being subjected to unilateral action.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr. Unnithan and Mr. Prasad said the action contemplated against them through the show-cause notice was against the accepted procedures of the party constitution. Besides, the KPCC executive had not taken any decision, as claimed by acting president, P.P. Thankachan, on barring public statements.

Mr. Unnithan said he had only brought out some home truths that could not be termed as allegations. No responsible person, including Padmaja Venugopal, had denied his charges about how the Kollam seat was given to another candidate. He denied that he had raised allegations against the senior Congress leader, K. Karunakaran. He had only mentioned that Mr. Karunakaran, like Dhrithirashtra, was blinded by his love for his son.

He said the Congress high command was yet to clear the name of Mr. Muraleedharan's candidature from the Wadakkancherry Assembly constituency along with the list of 17 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections. He alleged that the show-cause notice was issued against him and Mr. Prasad on the behest of Mr. Muraleedharan. "We would like to know why the matter was not referred to the AICC appointed disciplinary action committee before the show-cause notice was issued without even giving the stipulated time for reply," he asked. He alleged that a premeditated attempt was made to keep him out of the contest in Kollam. "There were only one candidate each for six of the seven seats that the Karunakaran faction got to contest. The seventh one, the Kollam seat, had two persons bracketed. He alleged that the KPCC general secretary, K.P. Kunhikannan, who had been authorised to give the names of "I" group nominee, was responsible for this action, as per the direction of Mr. Muraleedharan.

In a letter to the KPCC president, signed by Mr. Unnithan, Mr. Prasad, Shanimol Usman, and P C Chacko, they said the action against the two general secretaries could not be justified especially in the backdrop of a rather long phase of indiscipline in the party. Instead of conducting an inquiry into the allegations and those who had raised the allegations and the subject matter of such allegations, your move for disciplinary action could be seen only as an attempt to stifle freedom of expression in the party, they said and demanded the convening of the KPCC executive to discuss the allegations.

To a question on whether they would inform the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony. in writing about their allegations, the two general secretaries said they did not want to drag the Chief Minister into a controversy, which related to a party matter.

When asked what they had to say about the debate on whether seats should be given to three persons of the same family, instead of just harping on the denial of a ticket, Mr. Unnithan said the ticket distribution in Ernakulam and the tacit support for Benny Behanan to contest from Idukki had been done in order to facilitate the smooth election of Ms. Venugopal in Mukundapuram.

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