Congress Kerala unit has right to speak on Sabarimala verdict, says Randeep Surjewala

After Congress's Kerala unit spoke against the Supreme Court verdict on the Sabarimala issue, the party's headquarters sought to downplay it. Party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the state unit is well within their limits to express themselves on the issue.

A day after Ramesh Chennithala, the Opposition leader in the state, said that a review petition should be filed against the verdict, former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy wrote to CM Pinarayi Vijayan asking him to explore such a possibility.

Speaking to reporters on the matter, party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the Congress in the Centre is clear on its stand, supporting the verdict. "There can be no discrimination on the grounds of gender or sex as per the Constitution. And, for us, there are no two opinions on that. The SC judgement is binding upon everyone," said Surjewala.

However, he also came out in support of the stand of the party's Kerala unit. "If the state unit feels about the issue in a particular fashion, considering the local sensitivities, how can we say that their right of expression of opinion has been taken away. We do not subjugate ideas and opinion, including that of out state units," he said. He further said that the state unit was well within its rights in asking for a review. "Everybody can disagree on what is the law of the land. And the Kerala Congress unit is well within its rights to express the sentiment and sensitivities of the people on the ground and demand a review, which is also a statutorily and constitutionally enshrined doctrine. It's not illegal.

It depends on the Supreme Court whether it wants to reiterate its verdict or reconsider it," said Surjewala.

Party’s Social Media Chief To Stay

Congress social media president Divya Spandana laid rumours that she has stepped down from her post to rest, and said that she is very much in charge of the party’s social media unit. Moments after she had changed her bio on Twitter that had her designation within the party, there were reports that speculated that she no longer holds the post. Her absence from some key party events, too, had led to raised eyebrows