Congress tosses Vazhapadi out on his ear

The Tamil Nadu Pradesh Congress Committee has suspended former Pradesh Congress Committee president Vazhapadi K Ramamurthy from the party for indulging in 'anti-party activities.'

The TNPCC executive which met in Madras on Sunday also served show cause notices to nine senior leaders including former MP Era Anbarasu, All India Congress Committee members Gowrikrishnan and G Kalivaradan and former legislator S M Krishnan as to why action should not be taken against them on similar charges.

Political observers feel the 'disciplinary action' taken by former Union minister and PCC president K V Thangabalu would only aggravate the ongoing factional wars and further erode the beleaguered party's base in the state.

The suspension did not come as a shock to Ramamurthy or his supporters who, in any case, have been functioning independently of the party.

Ramamurthy said he was not concerned about the action. He declared he would continue to do his work to 'strengthen' the party.

Thangabalu, on his part, maintained that discipline was the strength of Congress and, as such, the action had to be taken.

Dissatisfaction had set in among many party workers since Thangabalu announced the list of PCC office-bearers and special invitees. Following this, faction leaders had issued damaging statements against the leadership.

Thangabalu, however, maintained he had given due representation to all factions. The leaders of the groups, instead of thrashing out the differences in the party forum, resorted to cheap publicity by going to the press, he said.

Meanwhile, seven of the leaders who have been served show cause notices (Anbarasu, Gowrikrishnan and Krishnan, former MPs Dr V Rajeswaran, M Krishnasamy and R Ramadoss and former legislator U Balaraman) described the PCC president's action as a 'farce' and said he had no right to take disciplinary action against them.

In fact, the seven alleged, it was Thangabalu who should be in the dock, not them -- his decision to announce the list of office bearers without informing the AICC amounted to anti-party activity.

"We want the party high command to initiate action against him," they declared in a joint statement.

They said they would approach party president Sitaram Kesri to demand Thangabalu's removal from the PCC presidency.

UNI

EARLIER INTERVIEW:

'The Congress is a party of sycophants... I am proud of it. That is the culture of our party'