Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee working president and Vadakara MP Shafi Parambil, even if he holds a different opinion, seems to have high regard for the disciplinary action taken by the party against MLA Rahul Mamkoottathil, his friend, protege and successor to the post of the Youth Congress president.

Shafi was speaking at Manorama Hortus on Saturday during the session 'Energy Charm & Tactic'. "Just when the charges cropped up, the party and Rahul decided to step down as the Youth Congress state president," Shafi said. 

He hinted that it was not a decision that could be taken lightly. "The Youth Congress president post is the culmination of a long and rigorous democratic process. His presence symbolises the work put in by innumerable Youth Congress members," Shafi said, indicating the huge hurt that could have resulted from Rahul's removal.

Later, the Congress suspended Rahul from the primary membership of the party and then removed him from the UDF Parliamentary Party. "No other political party faced with such a situation has taken a stand as bold as this," Shafi said.

He said that even internal differences on the issue had not prevented the party from taking action. "Not even the opinions of those close (to Rahul) like me did not hinder the party from doing what it had to do," he said, implying a deep respect for the higher standards upheld by his party.

Parambil even distanced himself from Rahul's latest move to campaign for certain Congress candidates in the local body polls. "He might have campaigned for certain Congress candidates locally who had helped him during his byelection, but the party has not officially appointed, or would not appoint, Rahul to campaign for Congress candidates in the local body polls," the KPCC working president said.

Nonetheless, he did not give a direct reply to a question whether his and the relationship of other senior Congress leaders with Opposition Leader VD Satheesan had strained after the Rahul episode.

Instead, he shared a piece of advice Rahul Gandhi gave the senior Congress leaders. "He told us that he could deal with any internal divisions in the party. But any insult to the people of Kerala is something he said he could not approve of," Shafi said.

In other words Rahul has told Congress leaders in Kerala to keep aside their differences, their jostle for the post of the Chief Minister, and focus on realising the wishes of the Kerala voters, which is to vote out the LDF government.

Parambil said that the primary agenda is to win the 2026 Assembly polls. He did not say there were no differences but just that these would be kept aside for now.

He said that Rahul Gandhi was the only political leader in the country who talked truth to power. "Without the leadership role he plays, the country would have long become an absolute autocracy," the Congress MP said.