Kochi, April 7 Setting the records straight on rumours that he is all set to switch sides, veteran Congress leader K.V.Thomas on Thursday said that he will only be attending the seminar as part of the 23rd CPI-M party Congress and has no intention of joining the party.
Making his intentions clear, he said: "I am just going for the seminar and not for anything else. I have been invited by Sitaram Yechuri to speak on the Centre-State relations on Saturday. I gave a note on it to Sonia Gandhi and recalled events of Pandit Nehru especially on the role of Governor. What's wrong in attending the event? Rahul Gandhi took part in a meeting with Pinarayi Vijayan where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin was honoured. Also barring Kerala, the CPI-M is with the Congress," said Thomas to the media.
Asserting that he will remain a Congressman till his last breath, the veteran leader said: "I am an AICC member and only the AICC can oust me. I began as a grassroots worker in the Congress and rose to this level. In 2019, except me all the 42 MPs were given a seat to contest. I was made a working president but within months was removed when a new set of office-bearers took over. If age was a factor, then it should be the same for all. I have been badly attacked in the social media. I had four CBI cases against me and got a clean chit in all. I am only going for the seminar and am not going out of the party."
The sharpest reaction to his decision of attending the seminar came from Congress MP, Rajmohan Unnithan who said none would have got more from the Congress party than Thomas.
"It's unfortunate after despite getting everything from the Congress, he has done this. What he fails to understand is no one will forgive him as he is going to a seminar defying the party president Sonia Gandhi," said Unnithan and added his days in the party are numbered.
As soon as Thomas announced that he will taking part in the seminar, the CPI-M released the invite on social media.
Seventy-five-year-old Thomas has been a Lok Sabha member from Ernakulam first from 1984 to 1996 and then he had two terms as a legislator and was a cabinet minister in the cabinet of A.K.Antony ( 2001-04). Then from 2009 to 2019 again he was in the Lower House.
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