Thiruvananthapuram,  Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, K. Sudhakaran has once asked party leaders to refrain from attending CPI-M seminar to be held in April. Sudhakaran said that the state party has issued a ban on party leaders participating in the national level seminar to be organised by the CPI-M as part of its National Conference at Kannur and if anyone violates that they would have to face party action.

The 23rd party Congress will be held at the red fort of Kannur from April 6 to April 10, and as part of the seminar CPI-M is organising national conference.

The CPI-M has invited Shashi Tharoor and former Union Minister, K.V. Thomas for the seminar on national politics.

The Congress party had issued a statement that no Congress leader must participate in the CPI-M seminar as the party is in a fight against the CPI-M due to the anti-people policies of the left government led by Pinarayi Vijayan.

Tharoor, meanwhile on Saturday, said that there was no party ban for him to participate in the seminar.

K. Sudhakaran retorted to this and said that if anyone participates in the seminar he will have to face disciplinary action. Sudhakaran, however, said that if Sonia Gandhi grants permission to participate in the seminar, then Tharoor can do so.

The Congress is against the K-rail project of the left government in the state and the major public participation against the stone laying and encroachment of properties in the state has turned the ire of the people against the left government.

Congress leaders are of the opinion that in such a situation where public mood is against the CPI-M and the Left Front, if some leaders attend a function organised by the CPI-M, it would give wrong message to the party cadres and general public and hence the ban of participation in the seminar of the CPI-M.

With Sudhakaran categorically stating that those who participate in the seminar would face music, it is to be seen as to how Shashi Tharoor will be responding to this.

Meanwhile, CPI-M state secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said that the Congress is unnecessarily creating an issue of leaders participating in the seminar. He said that the Kerala state Congress party is playing second fiddle to the BJP and that the seminar to be organised was against the BJP led government at the Centre. He also welcomed the Congress leaders who can take part in the seminar.