KPCC warns spokespersons against airing internal party matters in public
The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has barred its official spokespersons and media panellists from publicly commenting on internal party matters amid growing factional tensions within the state unit.In a directive issued by KPCC general secretary Deepthi Mary Varghese, party functionaries were instructed not to express personal views on policy priorities, appointments or organisational issues through television debates or social media. The leadership warned that violations would invite disciplinary action.The directive comes in the wake of a controversy over the UDF government's appointment of government pleaders. The Congress' student wing, KSU, objected to the appointments, alleging that one of the appointees had links to a rival political organisation.The dispute intensified after KPCC spokesperson VR Anoop criticised Chief Minister VD Satheesan on July 16, alleging that KSU state president Aloshious Xavier and KPCC general secretary PM Niyas had repeatedly sought appointments with him to raise their concerns but were denied.In a Facebook post, Anoop said Niyas wanted to meet the Chief Minister to object to the alleged Sangh Parivar background of a person appointed as Election Commissioner, while Aloshious sought to discuss the government pleader appointments. He questioned why the Chief Minister had extended what he described as a "sympathetic approach" to Hindu Aikya Vedi leaders KP Sasikala and RV Babu while not granting similar access to Congress functionaries.The row escalated further on July 18 when KSU state general secretary Anish Antony defended the student wing's stand in a Facebook post. He accused sections within the party of dismissing KSU's criticism as factionalism instead of addressing the issues it had raised. Antony said the objections stemmed from concerns over fairness and transparency and urged the government to review the appointments rather than ridicule the criticism.The controversy has since widened within the Congress. Senior leaders KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala have called for the issue to be resolved through internal discussions, while veteran leader VM Sudheeran publicly backed KSU and its state president, Aloshious Xavier.
THE Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has barred its official spokespersons and media panellists from publicly commenting on internal party matters amid growing factional tensions within the state unit.
In a directive issued by KPCC general secretary Deepthi Mary Varghese, party functionaries were instructed not to express personal views on policy priorities, appointments or organisational issues through television debates or social media. The leadership warned that violations would invite disciplinary action.
The directive comes in the wake of a controversy over the UDF government's appointment of government pleaders. The Congress' student wing, KSU, objected to the appointments, alleging that one of the appointees had links to a rival political organisation.
The dispute intensified after KPCC spokesperson VR Anoop criticised Chief Minister VD Satheesan on July 16, alleging that KSU state president Aloshious Xavier and KPCC general secretary PM Niyas had repeatedly sought appointments with him to raise their concerns but were denied.
In a Facebook post, Anoop said Niyas wanted to meet the Chief Minister to object to the alleged Sangh Parivar background of a person appointed as Election Commissioner, while Aloshious sought to discuss the government pleader appointments. He questioned why the Chief Minister had extended what he described as a "sympathetic approach" to Hindu Aikya Vedi leaders KP Sasikala and RV Babu while not granting similar access to Congress functionaries.
The row escalated further on July 18 when KSU state general secretary Anish Antony defended the student wing's stand in a Facebook post. He accused sections within the party of dismissing KSU's criticism as factionalism instead of addressing the issues it had raised. Antony said the objections stemmed from concerns over fairness and transparency and urged the government to review the appointments rather than ridicule the criticism.
The controversy has since widened within the Congress. Senior leaders KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala have called for the issue to be resolved through internal discussions, while veteran leader VM Sudheeran publicly backed KSU and its state president, Aloshious Xavier.
