THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: KPCC leadership is in a quandary over V. T. Balram's comments on freedom fighter, parliamentarian and iconic Communist party leader A. K. Gopalan falling in love with 12-year old Susheela.
While the senior leaders barring K. Muraleedharan MLA chose to be silent, the youth brigade has rallied behind the young legislator.
Terming it unfortunate Mr Muraleedharan said Mr Balram should have stayed away from such personal matters of the late leaders.
“Why should he dig out private issues between two leaders? What is his interest in it and what does he gain out of it? Insulting someone is not the culture of Congress,” he told DC.
He reminded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s "lies and nasty comments" against former PM Dr Manmohan Singh and other distinguished leaders, and the way Congress suspended Rajya Sabha MP Mani Sankar Aiyar when he reacted the same way.
Joseph Vazhakkan, another senior Congress leader, said the party neither support Balram’s statement nor encourage such defaming comments.
“At the same time, we did not see any such anger coming from the CPM when their party secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and power minister M. M. Mani resorted to defaming the Gandhi family,” he told DC.
But several Youth Congress leaders came out in his support.
“CPM leaders have resorted to defaming Congress leaders like K. Karunakaran and Oommen Chandy and their families. Then they should be tolerant enough to the taunt by Balram,” said D. V. Vinod Krishna, KPCC executive member.
