‘All decisions with senior leaders’ approval’: VD Satheesan responds to Adoor Prakash, welcomes criticism

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister VD Satheesan has responded for the first time to allegations raised by UDF convener Adoor Prakash, dismissing his complaint and asserting that the government functions in accordance with party policies and that all decisions are taken with the approval of senior leaders. Satheesan’s response comes after Prakash lodged a complaint with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, criticising the Chief Minister’s style of functioning.

“The problem is that someone claims I do not consult anyone. On policy matters, however, the government consults the party and functions in accordance with its policies. Administrative matters and many decisions related to day-to-day functioning may not necessarily require discussions with the party,” Satheesan said.

The Chief Minister said he welcomed criticism and maintained that even young leaders within the party had the right to disagree with him and criticise him. He added that he would acknowledge his mistake if convinced that he was in the wrong. If his critics had misunderstood the situation, he would try to explain it to them, he said.

Adoor Prakash’s complaint reportedly accused the Chief Minister of taking unilateral decisions while ignoring both the Congress party and the United Democratic Front (UDF). During his meeting with Kharge, Adoor Prakash said he often learned about decisions through the media and regretted being unable to answer questions about the UDF.

Adoor Prakash is also reported to have conveyed the views of the Mahila Congress leadership and the constituent parties in the alliance. During the meeting, which lasted around 30 minutes, he reportedly made a strong case for the Congress high command to intervene.

However, the Congress high command is not expected to hold discussions to resolve the internal crisis immediately. Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, are currently occupied with protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.