Worsening the factional rift within the state Congress, members of the Coimbatore District Congress Committee fought each other with chairs, tubelights, and allegedly even knives and stones, on Thursday night. The trouble began on Thursday night when a group of supporters of Union Minister and party strongman G K Vasan tried to enter a hall where a rival group owing allegiance to Nilgiris MP R Prabhu was holding their meeting. When Kovai Thangam, the sitting MLA from Valparai constituency and former DCC president, was denied entry, another Vasan loyalist and state Youth Congress president Mayura Jayakumar tried to barge in with his supporters, said the police. In the ensuing melee, about 20 party workers from both factions and a constable were injured, police added.The incident took a new turn on Friday when Thangam, along with other Vasan loyalists, filed a complaint against an Assistant Commissioner of Police, alleging that he had supported one group instead of staying neutral during the scuffle. In their complaint, Thangam and Jayakumar alleged that the police remained mute spectators when goondas of the rival faction attacked them with knives and stones.Trouble has been simmering in the district unit following the ouster of Thangam from the post of DCC chief. Sources close to Thangam alleged that Arunkumar, the AICC in-charge of the state, had a role in removing him from the post, at Prabhu’s behest.“It was decided that the reorganisation of TNCC and district units would be carried out after the Assembly elections in Karnataka. It is not clear why Thangam was removed, especially since none of the other district units were reorganised,” said a loyalist.One of the warring groups said they would accept a newly-appointed district secretary only if the decision was made by party president Sonia Gandhi herself. “If the new president is able to show us the authorisation letter from the AICC, we are ready to accept the new president,” pointed out a district member.Prabhu, a five-time MP from Nilgiris, was making all efforts to shift his area of activity to Coimbatore, said sources. “Though he has no ground support to make claims about, he has money power and a few connections in Delhi,” said a leader. However, some said the trouble dates back to the days when Vasan’s father, the late G K Moopanar, floated the Tamil Manila Congress. In fact, several posters have now emerged in Coimbatore, urging Vasan to revive the TMC.
