Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 10 (PTI) Miffed by senior Congress leader K V Thomas's decision to participate in a national seminar organised by the CPI(M) in Kannur and hail Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as the pride of Kerala, several veteran leaders of the party on Sunday sought stringent action in the matter which some have termed as major violation of discipline.

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Congress MP from Kerala K Muraleedharan said it was wrong on the part of Thomas to disobey the party directive not to attend the event.

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Muraleedharan said if no action is taken against Thomas, it would be an injustice to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor who, in accordance with the party directive, had not attended the event.

Both Tharoor and Thomas were invited by the CPI(M) to attend the seminar on Centre-State relations as part of its 23rd Party Congress which commenced on April 6 and concluded today.

Muraleedharan termed Thomas's decision as major violation of discipline.

While veteran Congress leader Oomen Chandy refused to say anything on the issue except that the party leadership would decide on what action has to be taken, his party colleague Ramesh Chennithala said the decision taken by Thomas affected the party workers' pride.

Terming the decision as unfortunate and unacceptable, Chennithala, while speaking to reporters at Alappuzha, said when the All India Congress Committee (AICC) decided no one from the party should participate in the event, Thomas did take part in it.

Chennithala said he expected the party to take a serious view of the matter and act accordingly.

Senior party leader K C Venugopal also criticised the decision of Thomas and said the agenda of CPI(M) in Kerala was to bring about the ruin of Congress.

He said the issue was now before the party's disciplinary committee headed by senior Congress leader A K Antony and it would decide the future course of action in accordance with the procedure laid down.

The former union minister and five-time MP Thomas, who has been at loggerheads with the Congress leadership for some time, received a thunderous applause by the Marxist party activists when he arrived at the venue of the seminar.

Defying the edict of the party leadership, Thomas on Thursday announced in Kochi that he would take part in the national seminar considering its contemporary significance but made it clear that he would not quit the Congress and remain in it till his last breath.

Thomas, in his speech, had lavished praise on Vijayan and his administrative capabilities and developmental agenda and also extended his whole-hearted support to the Left government's SilverLine semi-high-speed rail corridor project which is being opposed by the Congress. PTI

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)