New Delhi

Ravi apprises Sonia of meet with Thangal

NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi, on Tuesday, apprised Congress president Sonia Gandhi of his meeting with Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State president Panakkad Syed Mohammadali Shihab Thangal to broker peace between the two key allies in the United Democratic Front in Kerala.

Mr. Ravi met Mr. Thangal on Monday as a personal initiative following differences coming to the fore after the senior Congress leader Aryaadan Mohammad, MLA, made some remarks against the IUML leader.

Having been witness to the birth of the Congress-IUML alliance in 1970 against the wishes of the Malapuram District Congress Committee, Mr. Ravi undertook this exercise on the belief that every effort ought to be made to salvage the 38-year-old tie-up.

A section of the Congress leadership in the State sought to point out that friction between Mr. Mohammad and the IUML was nothing knew as the Congress leader’s politics in Malappuram hinges on an anti-League stance.

What is worrisome, though, is the way it has spread to the workers’ level, thereby, making it that much more difficult to iron out the rough spots this time round.

Meanwhile, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala is expected to meet Ms. Gandhi on Wednesday. Though he was in the capital on Tuesday, Mr. Chennithala is awaiting the arrival of the former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to formally apprise Ms. Gandhi of this irritant that has cropped up in the party’s relations with the IUML.

For his part, Mr. Ravi was able to communicate his view on this issue to Ms. Gandhi as he had been called by her to attend a meeting to take stock of the party’s poor showing in the Karnataka elections.

Mr. Ravi also spoke to party in-charge of Kerala Mohsina Kidwai about his meeting with the IUML State president.

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