Drama at TNCC HQ as rebels protest

CHENNAI: Satyamurthi Bhawan, the headquarters of the State unit of the Congress, was poised on the brink of a drama on Tuesday as some former party members of the party tried to enter the premises to hold a meeting. The group, who had earlier been expelled for ‘anti-party activities’, attempted to hold the meeting to discuss ways to ‘restruelcture’ the State unit.The band of around 50 people, led by expled Congress leaders such as party veteran G A Vadivelu, Jothi Ramalingam and former AICC member S M Idayatullah, attempted to go ahead with the meeting even as hundreds of party cadre had assembled for a programme chaired by Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president KV Thangkabalu.When they were denied entry, the rebel group held a road roko outside the headquarters. They were then picked up by the police for disrupting traffic on the General Patters Road.The State unit of the grand-old party has been wracked by factional feuds through most of this year.But TNCC president KV Thangkabalu rubbished the view that Tuesday’s protest had been fuelled by factionalism. “These were men who now have nothing to do with the Congress. They have been expelled. How can we let them hold some meeting in our office? Senior leaders like GK Vasan or P Chidambaram are sensible people. They will not support something of this nature,” he told Express. “If these men did have some support as is being speculated, wouldn’t their crowd have been more than the 50 people?” he asked.He also dismissed the stir as one that was organised by disgruntled individuals at having been expelled. “They have no locus standi on how the party is to be run,” Thangkabalu said.