It has happened in the past too, that professionalism has presided over party affiliations.
In an interesting development in the ongoing controversy surrounding Kerala Transport Minister Thomas Chandy accused in a land grabbing case, lawyer and Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha appeared for the tainted Kerala minister at the Kerala High Court on Tuesday.
Senior advocate Tankha was elected in the Rajya Sabha From Madhya Pradesh on a Congress ticket in 2016.
The news has naturally triggered discontent among the factions of the UDF. The UDF, and especially the Congress, has been on the forefront calling for Chandy’s resignation. The controversy surrounding Thomas Chandy, a member of the NCP and a powerful minister in the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet had come as a shot in the arm for the Congress that had been facing the solar scam heat.
As Vivek Tankha reached the HC on Tuesday, members of the Kerala Students Union, the students wing of the Congress, protested. "Are you not ashamed of yourself? Are you not a Congress leader?" one of the protesters shouted.
Senior Congress leader and KPCC president MM Hassan said, “We have already expressed our discontent with the High Command.” Haasan has said that he had also personally called up and asked Tankha not to appear.
Former KPCC president VM Sudheeran also expressed his disappointment over this development. “This is an insult to the UDF in the state,” Sudheeran told reporters on Tuesday.
Youth Congress leaders showed black flags to the NCP leader as he arrived in Kochi on Monday. In his defense, Tankha has said that Thomas Chandy is a friend and hence he is appearing for him.
Chandy has approached the Kerala High Court after the Alappuzha District Collector has submitted report on the alleged violation of various land-related laws by the resort owned by the minister.
Allegations against the minister include levelling up paddy field and lake for building road and parking area for his private resort.
In a similar incident, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi appeared for Santiago Martin against the Congress-led state government in the lottery case.
Following protests from within the party Singhvi was removed from his position as party spokesperson.