Thiruvananthapuram, June 05: Kerala finance minister and senior Congress leader K Sankaranarayanan today defended UDF convener Oommen Chandy for his remark that it was better for ministers loyal to the Karunakaran-led 'I' faction to quit the cabinet rather than criticising the functioning of the Government at group meetings. "Oommen Chandy is the UDF convener and it is a powerful post. Everybody has the right to express their views," Sankaranarayanan said while answering queries at a Meet-the-Minister programme at the press club here.

"No one has the right to say that Chandy should not make such remarks," he said without naming anybody, but apparently referring to the statement of senior Congress leader K Karunakaran that Chandy's remarks were "unbecoming of his position as the Front convener."

On the reported criticism by "I' faction that the two year UDF rule was far below the expectations of the people, he said he was ready to satisfy anybody about the Government's achievements.

Bureau Report