Thiruvananthapuram: Congress president Rahul Gandhi has taken note of the absence of former KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran at the concluding programme of UDF Padayorukkam “very seriously”, according to a senior Congress leader who returned to the capital on Sunday after witnessing the change of guard at the party’s helm in New Delhi. “It was truly unfortunate that Mr Sudheeran stayed back from Padayorukkam when the UDF showed its true strength,” said the leader. “If he had an objection to holding the function citing cyclone Ockhi, then he should have taken it up with the leadership earlier.”
The leader claimed that Mr Gandhi had inquired about Mr Sudheeramn when he was not present on the dais of the valedictory programme of Padayorukkam at Central Stadium on last Thursday though he was there at the airport to receive him. The Congress leader claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been forced to visit the Ockhi affected areas just because of Mr Gandhi’s visit to the coastal areas in Thiruvananthapuram and Kanyakumari.
“There is no doubt why Mr Modi is flying in to Kerala, Lakshadweep and Kanyakumari on Tuesday. DC had reported on Friday that Mr Sudheeran was peeved with the KPCC leadership as he was denied permission to receive Mr Gandhi on the tarmac on Thursday morning as the SPG had allowed only five leaders to enter there. When Mr Sudheeran was denied entry, the rest of the senior leaders decided not to go there. Instead the leaders, including Mr Sudheeran waited at the entrance of the technical area and received Mr Gandhi.
