It will not be possible any more to cooperate with the Kerala Congress (Mani), Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee interim president M.M. Hassan has said.
He was here on Thursday to launch a district-level membership drive of the party.
“We had never shut our doors on Mr. Mani’s party. Senior leaders of the Congress had urged him to come back to the United Democratic Front (UDF). With that party betraying us in the election to the post of Kottayam district panchayat president, we will not cooperate with them any more,” Mr. Hassan said.
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Mr. Hassan said the people of the State would not tolerate such unethical behaviour. Mr. Mani and his son Jose K. Mani, MP, would be forced to commit “political suicide” for betraying the Congress. “We have heard the story of Judas who had to commit suicide after betraying Jesus Christ. The same fate will fall on Mr. Mani and his son too,” Mr. Hassan said.
He alleged that the episode in Kottayam was masterminded by Mr. Jose K. Mani and Mr. Mani gave his silent approval for it.
Mr. Hassan said the Congress had to counter the anti-corruption campaign launched by the Left Democratic Front during the Assembly polls last year. Mr. Mani was their main target. “The Congress protected him all along. Now, he has cheated us,” he said.
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Mr. Hassan claimed that many Congress leaders then were against protecting Mr. Mani and the party had to pay a heavy price for doing it.
The Congress leader criticised the “double standards” of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).