Giving a strong warning to Sashi Tharoor, who is continuing his Malabar tour despite an undeclared ban, Opposition leader in the Kerala Assembly and senior Congress leader VD Satheesan on Tuesday said the Congress party has space for everyone, but any kind of sectarianism or parallel activities would not be allowed in the party.
Speaking to media persons here, Satheesan said the Congress does not have the strength to face parallel, divisive activities now, if anyone attempts to weaken the party that will not be tolerated.
“After two consecutive debacles in the Assembly elections, the Congress is on a comeback path in the state. In this situation, the party does not have the strength to face parallel, divisive activities.” he said
To a query whether Tharoor coming active in Congress in the state will be beneficial for the party, Satheesan said everyone has space in Congress, every leader has their own place in the party.
He said as regards matters of the organisation, it is the KPCC president who is taking decisions, and he is taking such decisions after all concerned.
“The KPCC President has made it very clear. Everyone has space for their work in Congress. We need a united leadership. There is nothing beyond the KPCC President’s word when it comes to Congress party’s organisational matters,” Satheesan said.
Accusing the media of crossing ethical boundaries, he said that the media headlines had a specific agenda and that Congress leadership was not a balloon which would burst with a pin prick.
When media persons repeatedly asked as to whether Tharoor is an inflated balloon, Satheesan declined to answer.
As regards former KPCC president K Muralidharan’s statement that in Kerala the Governor has become the opposition, Satheesan said it is not he who is to answer those statements. The Governor is not the opposition, the government and the Governor are together, they are involved in the game of giving and taking, he added.
Meanwhile, despite the undeclared ban, Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday, continued his Malabar tour. He visited Panakkad in Malappuram and met senior leaders of Muslim League, a constituent in the Congress-led UDF.
At the Malappuram District Congress office, district Congress president VS Joy received Tharoor amid sloganeering by party workers.Kozhikode MP MK Raghavan was also with Tharoor during his visit in Malappuram.
Speaking to media persons in Malappuram, Tharoor said that he fears no one and there is no reason for anyone to fear him and that he has no intention or interest in creating a group in Congress.
“Congress is already full of ‘A’ and ‘I’ groups and there is no need to add any more alphabets like ‘O’ and ‘V, ” he said.