Virtually censuring Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, for his controversial remarks against party high command observers, TNCC chief E V K S Elangovan on Saturday said such opinions could be expressed within the party fora and not in the media.
“If someone has hesitancy in expressing their views to me, they are free to go to the party President Sonia Gandhi herself. But, it will not be appropriate to discuss party issues in the media,” he said.
Firing a salvo at the AICC leadership after senior leader G K Vasan quit the party, Karti, an AICC member, had disapproved of role of high command’s observers in managing affairs of party state units and expressed the view that a Kerala model would best be suited for the TNCC.
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Mr. Karti had said that in Kerala, Congress leaders despite differences evolve a consensus on issues and then approach the party high command for approval.
Mr. Elangovan was talking to reporters here on his return from Delhi where he had met party Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu in-charge Mukul Wasnik, after being appointed president of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee on November 1.
Mr. Elangovan’s comments against Mr. Karti came a day after party spokesman Salman Khurshid in Delhi steered clear of questions if Mr. Karti’s remarks constituted breach of party discipline.
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On Mr Vasan quitting the party, Mr. Elangovan put up a brave front saying the exit of him and his supporters cannot be described as a split in the party.
“It is not a split in the party as only a few had gone with Vasan... Vasan’s (group) is essentially a four—member wing comprising Vidiyal Sekar, Covai Thangam, Vellore Gnanasekaran and Peter Alphonse,” he said and added that the team would lead the former minister to a blind alley.
Stating that Mr. Vasan was no more in the trust that administered the party properties, Mr. Elangovan said he would “even come to road and agitate to protect the party assets.”