Karunakaran most welcome to parent outfit: Cong leader

Kozhikode, Sep 21 (UNI) Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president Mullappalli Ramachandran today said Mr K Karunakaran, founder of Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran), was most welcome to join the Congress party if he accepted the leadership of Ms Sonia Gandhi.

''We will welcome Mr Karunakaran, who rendered yeomen service for the party'', provided he accepted Ms Gandhi's leadership, Mr Ramachandran said at a party function here while referring to the rebellion in the DIC(K) on its proposed merger with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

He said throughtout his life, Mr Karunakaran had maintained Congress culture and stood by the party when it faced setbacks many a times.

However, he was recently forced to defy the party leadership because of his son and DIC(K) president K Muraleedharan who was unable to imbibe the Congress culture and tradition.

Mr Muraleedharan was not acceptable to the party due to his ''dictatorial style of functioning,'' Mr Ramachandran claimed.

UNI PCH HS PM2009