KPCC president V.M. Sudheeran, who has been critical of the liquor policy of the government and the Congress, opted to abstain from a function organised at the behest of vice president M.M. Hassan in the city on Saturday.
Though Mr.Sudheeran was listed for inaugurating a State camp of the Janasree Sustainable Development Mission headed by Mr.Hassan in the morning, he did not turn up for the function and remained inaccessible to the organisers as well as the media.
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Congress leader Thampanoor Ravi and others, who were present at the venue, chose to explain Mr.Sudheeran’s absence as an unavoidable personal engagement. Mr.Sudheeran, they said, had left for Kanyakumari along with his family and did not know when he would return.
Mr.Hassan had openly come out against Mr.Sudheeran for putting the government in the dock on the liquor policy and his decision to stay away the function was seen as part of the growing resentment in the party.
Later, Mr.Hassan, inaugurating the camp, said the mission would take up a drive against liquor.
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Abstinence and a movement for prohibition in a phased manner should go hand in hand.
The government should take the initiative to launch such a movement, he said.
Mr.Hassan said the agenda set by the mission eight years ago for promoting bio-farming and abstinence had been adopted by the mainstream political parties. The mission would set up 20 bio-markets all over the State.
The function also witnessed the launch of a new drinking water brand by the Janasree in the name of the late Congress leader K.Karunakaran. Mr.Thampanoor Ravi presided over.