Cong leaders rally behind MP Sudhakaran, say he did not make any abusive remark against Ker CM

In a sort of u-turn, severalCongress leaders on Friday sought to play down thecontroversial remark of party MP K Sudhakaran against KeralaChief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, saying it was not abusive.

A day after the Congress disciplinary committee said itwill look into the matter, party general secretary K CVenugopal said the statement was made in a colloquial manner.

Leader of the opposition in the state assembly RameshChennithala said his observation on Thursday that such remarksshould have been avoided was a ''general statement'' andmaintained he later learnt Sudhakaran had not made any abusivecomment.

Lone woman Congress MLA Shanimol Usman, who had earlierlashed out at Sudhakaran for his remarks, tendered an'unconditional' apology to the MP saying she shouldhavespoken to him before reacting.

Speaking at 'Aishwarya Yatra', led by Chennithala,Sudhakaran had on Wednesday said Vijayan, who hails from afamily of toddy-tappers, will be remembered ''as the first CMfrom the working class to use a helicopter.'' On Friday, Chennithala said ''Sudhakaransaid hedidn'tmake any abusive statementagainst the CM. When Ienquired, it was true. I made a general statement in thematter (earlier) when the reporters asked me. He is a popularleader and an asset for the Congress party.'' Meanwhile, Sudhakaran, who met the media in Delhi,stood by the statement, saying he only mentioned theoccupation of Vijayan's family to point out his ''lavishlifestyle'' now.

''The discussion for the last two days has been that I hadmade casteist remarks. The CPI(M) reacted to my Tuesday'sspeech on Thursday. They woke up from their sleep,'' he said.

Venugopal said Sudhakaran made the statement ''in acolloquialmanner. He has clarified that he was not intendingto make any casteist abuse.'' However, maintaining that Sudhakaran made casteistremarks, state law minister A K Balan alleged the MP fromKannur, home district of the chief minister, always had'hatred' towards Vijayan and Congress leaders were afraid oftheir colleague.

''The Congress leaders should show some spine to stopSudhakran from making such casteist remarks,'' Balan said.

Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran also saidthere was no need to consider the statement made by Sudhakaranas casteist.

''There is no need for such a controversy. The Leftleaders have made even more derogatory statements earlier,'' healleged, while talking to reporters in Kozhikode.