Congress President Sonia Gandhi has given a stern warning to party MP Shashi Tharoor to listen to the party's Kerala leadership and refrain from attending the CPI-M seminar to be held in April, reported NDTV. Reportedly, Shashi Tharoor, KV Thomas and Mani Shankar Aiyar have been invited to the seminar from April 6 to 10 at Kannur.
According to the report, Gandhi's stern message came at a "tense meeting" on Monday afternoon. Sources told NDTV that Kerala Congress leaders from met with the Congress President at the party's parliamentary office in Delhi. They raised concerns about their colleagues "embarrassing" the party by going for the CPI-M event. After this, Gandhi sternly said those who had been invited must comply with the decision of the party's Kerala unit.
Meanwhile, CPI (M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas has said the seminar and meeting was an opportunity to explore an initiative to form a national level front against the BJP.
Speaking to news agency ANI, the CPI (M) MP said, "As part of party conclaves, the party congress has been inviting leaders from other parties on areas of common interest. This time we have invited Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor, KV Thomas, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. The topic of the seminar is Centre-State relationship and naturally, there is no conflict between CPIM and the Congress party."
He added, "If the Congress party is threading a parochial trajectory that means they playing into the hands of BJP. Now the Congress party has to decide whether they want to support the BJP or the initiatives of CPIM to have an anti-front BJP in national politics."
Brittas said, "It is a national seminar and CPI(M) leaders like EMS Namboodiripad and Jyoti Basu have attended seminars organised by the Congress party."
