Kannur: Senior Congress leader K V Thomas reached Kannur on Friday to participate in the 23rd CPM Party Congress, despite KPCC (Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee) barring him from doing so.
He was received at the airport by CPM activists to huge applause. CPM Kannur district secretary M V Jayarajan wrapped a red shawl around him on arrival.
When asked whether he had plans to jump ship to CPM, he told the media to wait till Saturday and that he will answer every question at the seminar. Thomas will be attending a seminar on 'Centre-State Relations' at the conclave.
Thomas backs SilverLine
Thomas voiced his support for the CPM government's ambitious SilverLine project. He even urged all parties to back the proposal. He said that all parties, no matter the ideology, must have a positive attitude towards progress and should only raise protests after learning the pros and cons properly.
Thomas praised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, calling him "one of the few good chief ministers in the country".
The KPCC had earlier called for Thomas' expulsion from the party rather than serving him a perfunctory suspension order if he attended the seminar at the ongoing CPM national conclave. After today, the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) can be expected to endorse KPCC's stand on the issue.
Earlier, at a press meet in Kochi, Thomas had thrown Congress' diktat to the wind, saying: “This is a national issue. Those opposing BJP and communalism should stand together. Congress has its own limitations. There may be issues between Congress and CPM in Kerala, but they should be kept aside. I am going to attend the programme. Congress has to rectify its mistake.”
