Thiruvananthapuram: K. Muraleedharan, a senior Congress leader, has publicly opposed the induction of Sandeep Varier into the party. He pointed out that Varier had previously justified the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and had personally criticized Rahul Gandhi. Muraleedharan stressed that while he accepted the decision to bring Varier into the party, he did not have much else to say on the matter.
“I am a disciplined party leader. Given the decision to admit him into the party, I accept it. I don’t have much more to say. I learned about Sandeep Waryar joining the Congress through the TV. I am not a prominent Congress leader, just a regular party worker,” said Muraleedharan.
Muraleedharan also stated that it was not unusual for political leaders to switch parties. He said that if leaders like Suresh Gopi, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, or George Kurien were to join Congress in the future, they would be welcomed. “It is natural for someone to move from one political party to another. This is a routine part of democracy,” he added.
Reflecting on Sandeep Varier’s role, Muraleedharan said that Varier, even without officially joining the Congress, would have won Palakkad with a large majority. He emphasized that Congress had a guaranteed 100% victory in Palakkad and that he had studied the constituency in detail.
Earlier, Muraleedharan had said that Varier’s joining the Congress was a good thing, adding that had Varier joined two weeks ago, he could have campaigned for Priyanka Gandhi. He also suggested that it could have served as an apology to Rahul Gandhi for past criticisms. Muraleedharan advised that while it was important to maintain membership in the ‘store of love’, one should not move to the ‘store of hatred’.
Muraleedharan further criticized Varier’s remarks about Gandhi’s assassination, suggesting that Varier made those statements to please the BJP. He concluded that there was no need to dwell on the issue any further.
