Row in Kerala Congress over disciplinary action

The Kerala unit of the Congress is again in the grip of a row over indiscipline in the party, adding to the long simmering group rivalries.

The controversy was raked up by foes of veteran party leader K. Karunakaran over his statement concerning party President Sonia Gandhi at a recent meeting here.

It took a turn for the worse with Karunakaran's son and Congress state unit President K. Muraleedharan threatening to recommend to Sonia Gandhi disciplinary action against three senior party leaders - Vayalar Ravi, V.M. Sudheeran and K.K. Ramachandran Master.

Muraleedharan maintains that the three leaders openly flouted party discipline airing opinions outside the party forum. They had made statements against Karuna-karan and Chief Minister A.K. Antony.

The controversy hotted up with Ravi disclosing that at the latest party meeting, Karunakaran said there was substance in Sharad Pawar's parting company with the Congress-I on the ground that Sonia was not an Indian citizen by birth.

Warning that disciplinary action would be recommended against the three 'offenders', Muraleedharan observed that the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) had recently decided that party leaders should not air criticism in public and they should not attend group meetings. Some party workers were subsequently given show-cause notices.

Muraleedharan had also made it clear that those flouting party rules would be removed from their official positions. It was against this backdrop that moves were being taken against Ravi, Sudheeran and Ramachandran Master.

Ravi dismissed Muraleedharan's threat that he would recommend disciplinary action against him as the 'biggest political joke of the century'. He sought to know if Muraleedharan would recommend similar action against his father for the 'caustic comments' he had made against the party president.

"If Muraleedharan finds that blood is thicker than water, he should be frank enough to admit it," said a source in the fourth group of the party led by Ravi. Besides the reported statement of Karunakaran against Sonia, his detractors point out that he had been engaged in a constant tirade against the Antony Government.

Moves are also afoot to bring this to the notice of the party's central leadership.

While Karunakaran was prompt in denying that he had not made any statement against Sonia, he maintains that there was nothing wrong in criticising the government as such criticisms were aimed at bettering its performance.

Muraleedharan recently made it clear that it was not possible to bring Karunakaran under disciplinary action in view of his indisputable seniority. Karunakaran aides, therefore, argue that his criticisms could not be seen as indiscipline. The rivals rebuff the stand stating that there could be only one yardstick for discipline for all.