CLP meet to discuss CM-Sudheeran standoff

Thiruvananthapuram: With chief minister Oommen Chandy and PCC chief V.M. Sudheeran at loggerheads over the bar policy, the Congress Legislative Party is set to meet on Monday to discuss the issue. 

While Mr Sudheeran has indirectly criticised the government over the  policy, Mr Chandy said that even he was unhappy over the current changes being made.

The government will try to show its united stand at the CLP meeting as it has been put on the defensive by Mr Sudheeran.

All the party ministers and MLAs will  attend  the crucial meeting which is likely to be held at the Assembly meeting hall. 

A senior Congress leader and a deputy of Mr Sudheeran in the KPCC claimed that even before Mr Sudheeran had become the PCC chief, he had criticised his predecessor Ramesh Chennithala for not calling the KPCC-government coordination committee meetings.

“Though Congress MLA and former KPCC president K. Muraleedharan had demanded last week that party-government coordination meeting be called immediately, there was no response from Sudheeran so far.

The truth is that in the 11-member KPCC- government high-power committee meeting, there is not a single former PCC chief or cabinet colleague who supports Sudheeran. So he has been avoiding holding the meeting,” said a senior Congress leader.

Mr Chandy said in Kozhikode that he went ahead with changes in the liquor policy due to  prohibition being implemented in a phased manner.

He opined that the decision was taken after taking stock of public sentiments and added that  was keen to see that the differences of opinion were rectified.

“It was my decision to implement Sunday as dry day. But when we realised that Saturday’s liquor sale had shot up, we revoked the decision,”  said Mr Chandy.

Mr Sudheeran alleged that external forces were fixing the government’s agenda which has been against people’s  interests.  He also criticised the Kerala High Court’s verdict in the bar case.

“I have never tried to weaken the government. I just expressed the feelings of the Congress cadre and the general public on the practical changes in the liquor policy.

The people get disappointed when external forces intervene and this is the biggest drawback in a democracy,”  said Mr Sudheeran.

He also rejected the demand of Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan to resign  as PCC chief and claimed that the liquor lobby was seeking his resignation. VS had been a supporter of the liquor lobby from the beginning, he said.

Senior Congress leaders like PCC vice-president M. M. Hassan and Culture Minister K. C. Joseph have openly attacked Mr Sudheeran.

While Mr Hassan told reporters in Thrissur that Mr Sudheeran’s attitude was  weakening the government, Mr  Joseph said the changes in the liquor policy would not be re-examined. Mr Chandy’s trusted lieutenant, Mr Joseph rejected Mr Sudheeran’s allegation that the government had meekly surrendered before the liquor lobby.