Mangalore, Feb 20: In what can be called an episode of high packed drama, former mayor K Ashraf voiced strong objections at a press conference held by DK District Congress Committee, with regard to the selection of members for the newly formed district-level election committee constituted to select candidates for the upcoming urban local body elections.
Expressing strong dissent on his exclusion from the District Election and Manifesto Committee announced by veteran Congress leader B Janardhan Poojary, Mangalore City Block Congress unit president and former Mayor K Ashraf raised questions on the formation of the committee and staged a walk-out during the press conference.
With this, the in-fighting in Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee has been exposed out in the open yet again, despite repeated attempts to prove that internal conflicts had been banished.
Interrupting Janardhan Poojary in the press conference, Ashraf demanded to know the reason behind his exclusion from the election committee inspite of him being the city block congress president. Ashraf went on to accuse Poojary of playing politics of double-standards. He expressed frustration at being ignored in the formation of the committee, and accused Poojary of showing prejudice against Muslims.
"Doesn't the block congress president deserve to be included? Are you condemning me for being a Muslim,” he questioned and walked out of the office.
Later, speaking to few mediapersons, he said that it was sheer injustice that a block congress president had been neglected by the party.
“Inspite of having experience as a Mayor, how can they overlook me? My efforts as a Mayor have already been proven. How can they form a committee without people's support? They should have deliberated before forming one,” he complained, adding that he did not desire authority, but merely wanted the party to come up.
Protesting against Poojary's dictatorship, he said that being appointed as the party's district electoral in-charge, he had to behave and act in accordance with the post. “What have the ones he has selected done for the party? I know better about preparing a manifesto than them. My experience as a Mayor counts. It is my responsibility to guarantee seats from my wards. Was it right to select inexperienced members in the manifesto list,” he said.
Stating that he was not targeting anyone in particular, he said that convening a meeting to discuss party affairs at a place of worship (instead of the party office) was not acceptable as it was a sacred place.This is why, he said, he opted to remain absence at the meeting held on Tuesday.
When asked if his condemnations would damage the party's image, he replied that the party did not suffer impairment from him, but from their own activities.
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