Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday came under veiled attack from the Congress leaders. They also warned him of disciplinary action.
The Congress leaders used the event, organised in connection with the inauguration of the construction work of K Karunakaran Centre to launch a veiled attack on Shashi Tharoor, who recently stated that he aspires for the post of Chief Minister and will contest the Assembly elections if such a demand comes from the people of the state.
AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal warned Tharoor of disciplinary action, while former Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala asked him to strip off the coat which is stitched for the chief minister’s post.
Speaking at the function, Venugopal said that the situation is favourable for the Congress as the CPI-M is weak. At a time when the Congress is trying to recover from the defeat of the past two elections, some efforts are being made to scuttle the opportunity, he said and added that every Congress activist should be careful about it.
“The Congress is not like other parties. We are a party that held the organizational election. Anything can be discussed but it should be within the party,” Venugopal said.
Ramesh Chennithala said that some people are dreaming about becoming something and it should be stopped. Apparently targeted at Tharoor’s recent statement revealing his desire to be the party’s chief ministerial candidate in the state, Chennithala said that nobody should say now what he would become after four years.
Senior Congress leader and UDF convenor MM Hassan said that what was now happening in the party was not groupism but individualism.
Meanwhile, Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulama, a religious organization of Muslim scholars, president Geoffrey Muthukoya Thangal said that Tharoor is a universal citizen.
Tharoor met Thangal in Kozhikode. He also met Mujahid faction president Abdullakoya Madani at their offices. Tharoor’s second visit to Malabar is a continuation of his meeting with community leaders in southern Kerala.