Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 11 Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Wednesday declined to respond to criticism by senior Congress leader and UDF convenor Adoor Prakash over the functioning of the ruling front.
Asked about Prakash’s remarks questioning the delay in convening a United Democratic Front (UDF) meeting, Satheesan said the date of its next meeting would be announced later.
“I will inform you of the date (of the next UDF meeting),” he said when reporters repeatedly pointed out Prakash’s criticism.
Prakash on Tuesday made a veiled dig at Satheesan, saying the question about why the UDF meeting had not been convened should be directed to the front’s chairman, a post held by the chief minister.
His remarks came amid continuing differences within the Congress-led coalition. A month ago, Prakash had publicly expressed displeasure over the functioning of the ruling front and Satheesan, alleging that he was being kept out of several important decisions and had to learn about them through the media.
He also described the situation as “serious neglect” of the UDF convenor and said he would formally convey his strong dissatisfaction to the AICC.
“A convenor of a front, holding a responsible position, having to learn about important government policies and decisions through news reports in newspapers and television channels amounts to serious neglect,” he had said.
Responding to Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph’s reported remark that he was learning about certain developments through the media, Prakash, a senior Lok Sabha MP and former minister, said the question should be directed to Joseph, adding that he might have observed this in his capacity as a minister.
“What is emerging now is proof of collective responsibility in the Cabinet,” he had said.
During the press conference, Satheesan, however, said Prakash had not alleged that there was no collective responsibility in the Cabinet or lack of unity within the party.
All senior Congress leaders were part of the Cabinet and decisions were taken collectively, he said.
Meanwhile, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal sought to downplay the reported differences among Congress leaders, describing them as a “storm in a teacup.”
Speaking to reporters in Kannur, he claimed that things were progressing well in Keralam and differences of opinion were natural in every political party.
“I am confident that the party will find a solution to all these ongoing issues. My responsibility is to ensure that any isolated issues within the Congress are resolved and that the party moves forward unitedly,” he said.
Asked about the reported differences between Chief Minister V D Satheesan and Power Minister Sunny Joseph over power purchase, he said both were capable leaders and would resolve the issues soon.
“All this is just a storm in a teacup. There is no problem. Everything will be resolved,” he added.
(PTI News)
