The Hindu : Front Page : Sankaran, others sever ties with DIC(K)

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Thursday, Sep 14, 2006
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Sankaran, others sever ties with DIC(K)

Staff Reporter

Meeting of those opposed to merger today

KOZHIKODE: The former Health Minister P. Sankaran has announced his decision to sever ties with the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) and rejoin ``the parent organisation, the Indian National Congress led by Sonia Gandhi and Oommen Chandy.''

The decision to leave the DIC(K) led by K. Karunakaran and K. Muraleedharan was taken in the backdrop of the move of the two leaders for the merger of the DIC(K) with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Mr. Sankaran told a press conference here on Wednesday.

Mr. Sankaran, along with DIC(K) district vice-president E. K. Gopalakrishnan, M. K. Sahadevan, K.V. Krishnan, K. C. Sivaraman and E. Narayanan Nair, said the merger decision was not acceptable to them.

"We have never opposed Karunakaran in the last 35 years. But this is an unfortunate step. It has destroyed the identity and individuality of the DIC(K). The NCP is a party opposed to the basic principles and culture of the Congress," he said.

Mr. Sankaran maintained that while his respect and admiration for Mr. Karunakaran, who had spent a major part of his life nurturing the Congress, would remain, it was difficult for him to be a member of a party opposed to Congress culture. The DIC(K) was formed with certain specific objectives and these were being violated now, he said.

Mr. Sankaran alleged that the rank and file of the party and their leaders were not consulted before holding parleys with Mr. Pawar.

He announced that a meeting of DIC (K) members opposed to the merger would be held in Thrissur on September 14.

DIC(K) Thrissur district president V. Balaram had on Tuesday said a majority of the members of the party in the district had decided to leave the party.

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