Kozhikode
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran’s reported statement in praise of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) at a recent party event has pitted the Kozhikode District Congress committee (DCC) and the Youth Congress against each other.
The DCC suspended V.P. Dulkhifil, Youth Congress State general secretary and member of the Kozhikode district panchayat from Payyoli Angadi division, on April 30 on the charge of “making disparaging remarks against Mr. Sudhakaran in the social media”.
The KPCC president, according to media reports, had complimented the DYFI for the free meals they distribute among patients and caregivers in government general hospitals in the State for the past four years. Mr. Sudhakaran reportedly pointed out during the party event on April 27 that Congress activists rarely involved themselves in such humanitarian works.
Mr. Dulkhifil wrote a Facebook post subsequently, asking what should they learn from the DYFI whose leaders were accused of murdering Kripesh and Sarath Lal, Youth Congress activists from Kasaragod. He said that the free meal distribution was a convenient propaganda cover by the DYFI to hide its “violent politics”. Mr. Dulkhifil said that he had to express his dissent when their action was being praised instead of being criticised. K. Praveen Kumar, DCC president, issued a terse press release on last Saturday, announcing Mr. Dulkhifil’s suspension.
However, this did not go down well with the Youth Congress leadership, which questioned the rationale behind the DCC’s action. It has been reported that Shafi Parambil, its State president, himself called Mr. Praveen Kumar to express his displeasure. One of the State vice-presidents of the Youth Congress wrote to the DCC leadership criticising the action.
The DCC president told The Hindu on Wednesday that the matter was now with the KPCC, which would take a call on it. Mr. Dulkhifil, however, stuck to his stand saying he had just expressed the sentiments of the Youth Congress and none was named in the post.
Meanwhile, another section in the Youth Congress came up with a press release saying Mr. Sudhakaran had not praised the DYFI as reported in the media.
