Kasaragod(Kerala), May 9 (PTI) Congress MP Rajmohan Unnithan on Saturday said that all constituent partners of the UDF, such as the IUML, have the right to express their views on the internal matters of the grand old party, including who should be the next Kerala CM, as they all are part of the "team".
He also said that the Congress has the right to express its views on the internal matters of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Unnithan made the statement as a criticism of Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan's recent remarks -- that the Congress and its ally IUML cannot interfere in each other's internal matters.
The BJP interpreted Unnithan's views as the Congress party's surrender to IUML.
In a Facebook post, the Kerala unit of the BJP claimed that the statement of the Kasaragod MP shows that the reins of the UDF and the Congress were now completely in the hands of the League.
Unnithan, while speaking to reporters here, referred to the Congress-held constituencies in northern Kerala, where its key ally, the IUML, is a formidable force.
"Rahul Gandhi won from Wayanad, I am an MP from Kasaragod, K Sudhakaran is from Kannur, Shafi Parambil is from Vadakara, and A P Anil Kumar is an MLA from Wandoor. Can any of us say the League cannot express its views regarding the internal matters of the Congress?" he asked.
Referring to the statement, the BJP further claimed that Unnithan was admitting that the victories of Rahul Gandhi, himself and other party leaders were due to the "generosity" of the league.
It also said that the Kasaragod MP's statements show that the UDF government will be whose and for whom.
Breaking his silence over the next Kerala CM issue, Unnithan, while speaking to reporters, also said that not just party MLAs, every member of the team UDF -- including IUML, Kerala Congress (KEC) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) -- was entitled to express their opinion.
He also strongly criticised certain remarks by a party MLA in connection with the IUML on the CM issue and said that 'team UDF' included all of its constituent members who were entitled to air their views on who should be the chief minister.
"None of the MPs or MLAs in Kerala can say that the League cannot comment about internal matters of the Congress, as the IUML is part of the team UDF," he said.
The Congress MP from Kasaragod said that remarks against someone expressing their views show "intolerance" and questioned the right of the party MLA to make such statements.
"In fact, all the minority and religious groups that helped the UDF win are eligible to express their views on the matter," he added.
In response to the Kasaragod MP's remarks, Kuzhalnadan on Saturday said he was small in stature compared to Unnithan and was accepting what he said on the issue.
"I do not intend to argue with him on the matter. I do not have the stature for that. I am not going to talk about the issue any longer. It is a closed chapter," he said.
Unnithan, earlier in the day, said that no one should show intolerance to someone indicating their view and reminded that the observers sent by the party high command had spoken to everyone, including the UDF constituents like IUML, KEC and RSP, among others.
In his statement to the media, Unnithan termed the demonstrations in favour of the chief minister hopefuls by destroying the flexboard of party general secretary K C Venugopal as "divisive tactics".
The Kasaragod MP said that Venugopal and senior party leaders V D Satheesan and Ramesh Chennithala were eligible to lay claims to the post of CM, and supporters can carry out public demonstrations for that, but it has to be done by following the party discipline.
He urged everyone to wait for the party high command's decision instead of taking to the streets with demonstrations that violate party discipline.
"Once the party high command's decision comes, no one loyal to the party will say a word against it," he said.
Referring to the destruction of a flexboard of Venugopal, which also contained an image of late Congress stalwart Oommen Chandy, he questioned why no party leader spoke out against it.
He said that many party leaders prayed at Chandy's grave after their candidature was announced, during the campaigning phase and after winning and shed copious amounts of tears, "but none of them spoke out when a flexboard with his image was destroyed".
"People who destroyed the flexboard of Venugopal, which contained images of other leaders, including Chandy, cannot be seen as part of Congress," he said.
Later in the day, Chandy's son, Chandy Oommen, who is the MLA-elect from the Puthuppally Assembly seat, said he does not believe that any Congress worker would destroy a flexboard containing images of party leaders, including his late father.
"Some Left workers may have done that. No one in Congress will do that," he contended.
Unnithan also said that many party leaders and MLAs are in Delhi trying to get good ministerial posts or KPCC chief position, as the incumbent, Sunny Joseph, is expected to be made a minister. Venugopal, Satheesan, and Chennithala are in the race for the CM post.