Former Kerala Congress Vice-President Quits Party, To Join CPI(M)

Former KPCC vice-president and senior Congress leader C K Sreedharan today quit the party in protest against the state unit chief K Sudhakaran's recent comments on the RSS.

Mr Sreedharan told the media that he will join the CPI(M), which has been "effectively battling fascism and communalism in the country." "I have decided to leave the party. My future plans about working with the CPI(M) will be announced on November 17," he told the media.

Mr Sreedharan said the Congress party failed on all fronts.

"The Congress has failed the country. In today's India, we need to fight against fascism and communalism and the Left front is effectively doing that currently. The recent comments and attitude of the state leadership including a public statement made by the KPCC president...all these are factors to leave the party," Mr Sreedharan said.

He is expected to join the Left party in presence of CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan soon.

"Even though he (Sudhakaran) claimed later that it was a mistake, we know it was his inherent and instinctive tendency behind such statements. The party workers are ashamed of such acts," he told the media.

KPCC chief Sudhakaran had on Monday said that India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was a great leader who had shown his "magnanimity" to include RSS leader Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in his Cabinet, drawing sharp criticism from key Congress partner Muslim League (IUML) and the ruling CPI(M).

Mr Sudhakaran made the remarks while addressing a Children's Day programme organised by the Kannur DCC to celebrate the birth anniversary of Nehru, days after his revelation that he had given protection to RSS shakhas decades ago, irking the Muslim League. 

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