'Nothing is going to happen to Cong if Thomas leaves'

Thiruvananthapuram, April 8 Veteran Congress leader Mullapally Ramachandran has slammed K.V. Thomas for defying the party high command directive on taking part in the 23rd CPI-M Party Congress seminar in Kannur on Saturday.

"The party gave him everything and yet he says he was sidelined and this is nothing but sheer ingratitude. Nothing is going to happen to Congress if K.V. Thomas joins any party," said Ramachandran, also a former president of the Kerala unit of the Congress and ex-cabinet colleague of Thomas.

Incidentally, both Ramachandran and Thomas were part of the UPA-2 Manmohan Singh cabinet.

"Shashi Tharoor and Thomas were invited for the seminar and following directions from the AICC and the party state unit, Tharoor withdrew, while Thomas did not. This is a breach of party discipline and challenging the party. He is attending a seminar of a party which is constantly posing a threat to the well-being of ordinary Congress workers. This is in no way acceptable," added Ramachandran, a seven-time Congress Lok Sabha member.

It was on Thursday that Thomas finally made his intentions clear that he will attend the seminar.

"I am not the first and will not be the last Congressman to take part in a CPI-M seminar," said Thomas on Friday and said he will reach Kannur later in the day to take part in the seminar to be held Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, the CPI-M has made it clear that Thomas will not have to be worried of his future in case the Congress dumps him for attending the seminar and the assurance came from state secretary of the CPI-M Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.