The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) is keeping its party activists guessing about the participation of Congress Working Committee member (CWC) member Shashi Tharoor in the Palestine solidarity rally to be held at Kozhikode beach on Thursday even as a section of the Congress leaders and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) desire that he stay away from the event after his controversial reference to Hamas as ‘terrorists’ at a pro-Palestine rally organised by IUML last month.
At a news conference here on Monday, M.K. Raghavan, Kozhikode MP, and District Congress Committee (DCC) president K. Praveen Kumar said that invitations had been sent to several people including community leaders and that their participation would be confirmed only on Wednesday. Both of them, however, were doubtful about Mr. Tharoor’s presence at the rally due to a wedding in his family.
Mr. Raghavan said that All India Congress Committee general secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal would inaugurate the rally at 4 p.m., while KPCC president K. Sudhakaran would preside over the session. IUML State president Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal will deliver the keynote address. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan will be the chief guest on the occasion while senior leader Ramesh Chennithala will administer the Palestine solidarity pledge. At least, 50,000 people would take part in the rally which would proclaim the resurrection of the Congress in Kozhikode district, Mr. Raghavan added.
