Ramamurthy won't cry to high command, will launch 'parallel' Congress instead

Just-suspended Congress leader Vazhapadi K Ramamurthy says he will not contest his suspension, but will, instead, launch a 'parallel Congress in Tamil Nadu.

Ramamurthy said he had not yet received any notice from Pradesh Congress Committee president K V Thangabalu about his suspension. And even if he did, he said, he would not respond in any way.

"I will not move the high command in Delhi," the former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief declared.

Ramamurthy claimed -- and looked -- unconcerned about the disciplinary action against him and nine senior party officials functionaries by the Tamil Nadu Congress leadership.

"I don't consider the action an injustice to me as I have never recognised him (Thangabalu as the leader)."

He said he would continue to work to strengthen the badly-eroded base of the party in the state. He would go ahead with his agitational programme on September 22 to protest the hike in petroleum prices. He would also fight the state government's hike of bus fares.

Ramamurthy said he had hoped things would be set right in the party after its debacle in the last general election; but his hopes were dashed when Thangabalu was appointed the PCC chief.

Thangabalu, Ramamurthy alleged, ever since he took over as president, was functioning as the stooge and benami of the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and its ally the Tamil Maanila Congress.

To support this allegation, he gave details about Thangabalu's securing permission from the government to start an engineering college at Taramani (in Madras) after his application for starting the college in Dharmapuri was rejected.

Ramamurthy further said that Karthik Granites, allegedly owned by Thangabalu, was involved in the Indian Bank scandal, and that his name figured in the diary of former IAS officer A N Dyaneswaran (who has been arrested on corruption charges).

The nexus between Thangabalu and Chief Minister M Karunanidhi is so strong that the latter is shielding the PCC chief from arrest, Ramamurthy charged.

Ramamurthy said this was the 'best time' for the Congress to withdraw support to the United Front government as the economy was nose-diving and industrial growth was on the decline.

Former MP Tindivanam Ramamurthy, who was with the rebel, questioned Thangabalu's right to take action against a former TNCC chief.

The executive had powers only to recommend to the high command to take action, but in this case, even the executive did not meet -- the decision was taken by the newly-nominated office bearers, he charged.

He said he had wired Congress general secretary R K Dhawan seeking his intervention to save the party in the state.

"If Thangabalu consulted the party high command before taking the action, he must have misguided it," Tindivanam Ramamurthy charged.

UNI