Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) | Congress leaders on Saturday sought to downplay the reported differences between Chief Minister V D Satheesan and the KSU over the appointment of a government pleader, with senior leaders asserting that the issue would be resolved within the party.
The controversy erupted after Satheesan said on Wednesday that government pleaders were appointed based on merit and recommendations and that the government would not function under pressure from political or student organisations.
The Congress' student wing, the Kerala Students Union, has objected to the appointment of a former Students' Federation of India leader as a government pleader.
The SFI is the students' wing of the CPI(M).
State Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala dismissed suggestions of any serious differences within the Congress.
"If KSU workers have any grievances, those grievances will certainly be examined and resolved. I believe the CM himself will take the initiative," he said.
Rejecting suggestions that Satheesan was unwilling to meet the aggrieved KSU leaders, Chennithala said hundreds of people meet the CM and ministers every day.
"If they meet the CM and place their concerns before him, he will certainly consider them. He will not disregard them," he said.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said he was not aware whether anything had happened that had upset the KSU, but maintained that such issues should be resolved within the party.
"If there are issues, they should be discussed with the concerned leaders and resolved through the appropriate forums. This government came to power not only because of the hopes of Congress workers but also because of the expectations of the common people. I do not support issues arising from within our own side," he said.
He said the KSU might have genuine concerns and that the party would try to address them.
"My opinion is that no one should engage in acts that hurt the sentiments of party workers," Venugopal added.
KSU state president Aloshious Xavier sought to tone down the controversy, saying it should not be projected as a major confrontation between the student organisation and the government.
He said the KSU had conveyed its concerns to both the government and the Congress leadership.
"We informed the government of our concerns and also informed the party. The party has assured us that it will intervene in the matter. As a disciplined party worker, it is my responsibility not to say a single word more or less than that," he said.
Xavier said the issue remained under discussion and would never reach a stage where the KSU was ignored.
"We are waiting to meet our CM," he said.
Asked whether time had been sought to meet Satheesan, Xavier said the KSU was in constant touch with the CM's office.
Rejecting suggestions that Venugopal was using the KSU to raise the issue, Xavier said the student organisation had always functioned independently.
"KSU is an organisation that has the freedom to take independent positions and express its opinions. That has been its character from its inception," he said.
KPCC president Sunny Joseph also said the matter did not warrant unnecessary controversy.
Referring to criticism that Satheesan had not interacted with Xavier during a recent function in Kochi, Joseph said he had discussed the matter directly with the CM.
"He had to leave the venue in a hurry to attend an online meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The CM clarified that he did not notice Xavier because he was standing behind him," Joseph said.
He dismissed reports of serious internal friction within the KSU, saying there was no need to turn the issue into a controversy.
Minister A P Anil Kumar said the KSU and the Youth Congress had always expressed their opinions, even during previous UDF governments.
"What needs to be accepted from those opinions will be accepted, and what needs to be rejected will be rejected. Beyond that, there is no need to give it any other interpretation," he said.
He, however, added that there should be certain limits while expressing opinions.
"There are certain boundaries that need to be maintained. There is no objection to them expressing their views as long as they remain within those boundaries," he said.
KSU Ernakulam district president K M Krishnalal criticised Xavier's stand, alleging that the KSU state leadership was targeting lawyers who had long been associated with the Congress-backed Indian Lawyers Congress and had represented the organisation in several cases.
"If they had concerns, they should have first raised them before the KPCC president. They have not submitted any complaint either to the KPCC or to the CM so far," he said.
Senior Congress leader K Babu claimed that one of the government pleaders had been recommended by a young Congress MP, though he clarified that he was referring to neither Hibi Eden nor Shafi Parambil.
"So, the CM should not be blamed in this matter. But the KSU has every right to express its opinion," he said.
Babu added that government pleaders are selected by the advocate general on merit and that political recommendations in such appointments are nothing new.
