KOCHI: KPCC president V M Sudheeran’s high moral stance against getting votes and funds from abkari businessmen has met with a flurry of protests from Congress and allies, though the stinker came from Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who dissociated himself from the party chief’s “grandstanding”.
Mr Sudheeran said on Monday that the Congress did not need votes and funds of those who traded in liquor and the party would take a formal decision soon. He said the declared policy of Congress and UDF was prohibition.
Mr Sudheeran told reporters that party workers had been instructed not to accept money from liquor traders. The UDF had decided to implement prohibition in 10 years and its chairman, Mr Chandy, stated made this on August 21.
“It’s the declared policy of UDF and there is need to review it at every meeting,” he said, when newsmen pointed out that UDF convener P P Thankachan’s clarification after the last UDF meeting in Kochi that UDF policy was not prohibition but temperance.
To another question, Mr Sudheeran the issue of Congress leaders running bars would be dealt with after his Yatra.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Mr Chandy clarified there was no question of any discrimination on the question of “votes”.
“Congress needs votes from all sections but does not believe in sacrificing ideals for the sake of votes. The government’s policy combines both temperance and prohibition.
There is no point in talking of temperance after letting liquor flow in every nook and cranny of the state”, said Mr Chandy.
PCC vice-president V D Satheesan’s was response was nuanced, saying Mr Sudheeran had already opted out of future electoral contests that he did not require votes from these sections. “I don’t have any such stance”, said Mr Satheesan.
Excise Minister K Babu termed Sudheeran’s stand “personal”, wondering whether anyone could be sure in advance who would vote for which candidate or party.
Congress leader T N Prathapan, MLA, said: “Only a political leader with conviction and on who upholds values can say this”.
Congress leader Pandalam Sudhakaran reflected the ‘I’ group stand. "Since Sudheeran is not going to be in the electoral fray, he doesn't require votes at all ".
KC (Jacob) and KC (M) leaders, Mr Johny Nellore and Mr Antony Raju, respectively, flayed Sudheeran stand. While the former termed it antidemocratic, Mr Raju pointed out that there are Congress ministers and MLAs, “who are bar owners”.
