Chennai: Virtually censuring Karti Chidambaram, son of former Union minister P Chidambaram, for his controversial remarks against party high command observers, TNCC chief E V K S Elangovan on Saturday said such opinions could be expressed within the party fora and not in the media.
"If someone has hesitancy in expressing their views to me, they are free to go to the party President Sonia Gandhi herself. But, it will not be appropriate to discuss party issues in the media," he said.
Firing a salvo at the AICC leadership after senior leader G K Vasan quit the party, Karti, an AICC member, had disapproved of role of high command's observers in managing affairs of party state units and expressed the view that a Kerala model would best be sutied for the TNCC.
Karti had said that in Kerala, Congress leaders despite differences evolve a consensus on issues and then approach the party high command for approval.
Elangovan was talking to reporters here on his return from Delhi where he had met party Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi and Tamil Nadu in-charge Mukul Wasnik, after being appointed president of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee on November 1.
Elangovan's comments against Karti came a day after party spokesman Salman Khurshid in Delhi steered clear of questions if Karti's remarks constituted breach of party discipline.
On Vasan quitting the party, Elangovan put up a brave front saying the exit of him and his supporters cannot be described as a split in the party.
"It is not a split in the party as only a few had gone with Vasan... Vasan's (group) is essentially a four-member wing comprising Vidiyal Sekar, Covai Thangam, Vellore Gnanasekaran and Peter Alphonse," he said and added that the team would lead the former minister to a blind alley.
Stating that Vasan was no more in the trust that administered the party properties, Elangovan said he would "even come to road and agitate to protect the party assets."
On the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Elangovan expressed his support to the ordinary Tamils in the island but said his party was opposed to LTTE.
LTTE was a "terrorist outfit" and the killers of Rajiv Gandhi should be hanged to death as per court ruling, he said.
Referring to the death row awarded to five Indian fishermen, he alleged it was influenced by Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
He urged the Centre to take swift measures to get the fishermen released.
TNCC would launch agitations on people's issues including hike in milk prices.
In the backdrop of incidents in various parts of the state, where supporters of Vasan have locked some offices of TNCC, Elangovan said, "These are assets that came to Congress because of the work of Kamaraj.
"So, no one can claim it. They (Vasan's supporters) should not involve in violence. The way I know Vasan, he does not believe in violence. So I hope his supporters do not indulge in violence."
