Date:14/11/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/14/stories/2007111459470100.htm

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Congress panel to probe attack on Mayura Jayakumar

Special Correspondent

Mayura Jayakumar

CHENNAI: The Congress high command has formed a three-member committee to probe the circumstances that led to the attack on State Youth Congress president Mayura Jayakumar at the party headquarters, Satyamurthi Bhavan, here on last Sunday.

Informing this to newsmen here on Tuesday, Congress MP in-charge of Tamil Nadu V. Arun Kumar said the committee would identify those behind the attack and submit its report within a week. Based on the findings, further action would be taken.

Meanwhile, the party expelled Williams, Chennai Corporation councillor, who had entered the party headquarters on Sunday along with a group and attacked Mr. Jayakumar.

Congress Legislature Party deputy leader D.Yesoda, former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Kumari Ananthan and senior party leader G.A. Vadivelu are the members of the committee.

Mr. Arun Kumar said the decision to appoint the committee and to expel the councillor was unanimously taken at a meeting of senior party leaders at Satyamurthi Bhavan. He warned partymen that the high command could not accept any more indiscipline in the party, which was committed to non-violence. People who could not control their emotions were unfit to be leaders of the party, he said.

Admitting that groupism was a bane of the party, Mr. Arun Kumar said that it was there in all States. But in the name of group politics, partymen should not resort to violence.

The AICC representative found fault with the police for not giving sufficient information to TNCC president M. Krishnasswamy, before he was attacked by a group in Ramanathapuram recently.

The State should have given police protection to politicians, he said.

Hearing adjourned

The Madras High Court has adjourned by two weeks the hearing on Congress MLA M.K. Vishnu Prasad’s plea for anticipatory bail in connection with the attack on Mr. Jayakumar.

Justice T. Sudanthiram, who heard the matter on Tuesday, orally asked the respondent-police not to arrest the petitioner till the next hearing. He, however, observed that if necessary the police could examine the petitioner.