Muraleedharan rules out returning to Cong

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 27 (UNI) Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) Kerala unit President K Muraleedharan today categorically stated that he would not return to the Congress even if his father and veteran politician K Karunakaran did so.

Talking to newspersons here after a meeting of the party's state executive committee, he said they should not go back to the party which had betrayed them. ''It is the NCP which had extended a helping hand to us and we will rally behind Mr Sharad Pawar'', he added.

On the reported statement of Mr Karunakaran that he accepted the leadership of Ms Sonia Gandhi, Mr Muraleedharan said Ms Sonia Gandhi was not above cricitism. ''But as the chairperson of the UPA, we respect her.'' He said there was no invitation from her to NCP leaders to return to the party. ''Even if there is any invitation, we are not going to accept it,'' he added.

UNI