No move to bring Karunakaran back: Chennithala

Kochi, Apr 9: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Ramesh Chennithala today categorically stated that he would not take the 'leading hand' to bring former Congress leader and NCP leader K Karunakaran back to the Congress fold.

Replying to a specific question that there was a 'hint' of Mr Karunakaran coming back to the Congress, Mr Chennithala said he was not aware of any such development.

Asked if he would take initiative to bring back Mr Karunakaran, Mr Chennithala said he would not take any 'leading hand' to bring back the disgruntled veteran leader, who left the Congress to form his own party, the now defunct Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran).

Taking strong exception to the CPI(M)'s stand that Kerala Local Self-Government Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty should not resign in the wake of the High Court order against the Minister for contempt of court, Mr Chennithala alleged the CPI(M) had 'called for a war' against the judiciary and this was against democratic principles.

'This attitude of the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government is not good. It would bring disrepute to the law of the land and weaken the judiciary,' he said.

He said the Congress would launch an agitation against the government, if the Minister did not resign even after the final verdict on the case.

'The Congress is of the view that the executive, legislative and the judiciary should work in tandem to uphold democratic principles.' On the upcoming Centenary of Satyagraha celebrations, he said two-day celebrations would be held in Payyannur from April 29.

Union Defence Minister A K Antony, Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh and Congress Working Committee Member Veerappa Moily would participate in a meeting related to the celebrations on April 30.

UNI