Factionalism in the Tamil Nadu Youth Congress took an ugly turn after former Youth Congress leader and son of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president, Vishnu Prasad, was named as prime accused in the attack on Youth Congress leader S Jayakumar at Sathyamurthy Bhavan, the Congress headquarters here, on Sunday.According to party workers, a gang of about 10 members armed with sickles and knives, barged into Jayakumar's office located on the first floor and attacked him. A meeting of Congress legislators was also being held in the same building to discuss the recent attack on TNCC president M Krishnasamy. Jayakumar, a loyalist of Union Minister G K Vasan, sustained injuries on his right shoulder and was taken to a private hospital. Two other workers were also injured.According to Police Commissioner Nanjil P Kumaran, four special teams have been formed to question the 19 accused named in the FIR, including Vishnu Prasad, an MLA representing the Cheyyar constituency. They have been accused under several sections, including attempt to murder and conspiracy.Police said ‘Sadai’ Williams, another prime accused who allegedly led the attack, is believed to be close to Prasad. Prasad was attending the meeting on the second floor when Jayakumar was attacked.Police confirmed that Prasad was likely to be picked up on Monday. Party sources said the MLA was trying for an anticipatory bail. Meanwhile, Youth Congress workers in various parts of Tamil Nadu blocked traffic demanding action against those responsible for the attack on Jayakumar.Jayakumar has often been accused of “unilaterally” taking decisions in dropping some Youth Congress functionaries from their posts. There was also heartburn in a section within the party that there was no unanimous condemnation of the attack on Krishnasamy.The main agenda of the legislators’ meeting on Sunday was to flay the Government for its “nonchalance” towards the attack on Krishnasamy. However, the violent intra-party feud took the spotlight.Vasan said: “At no time in Congress history, has such an uncivilised and brutal attack taken place within its headquarters. Police should immediately arrest those involved and the high command identify those who instigated the attack and take action.”Union Minister raps KarunanidhiUnion Minister E V K S Elangovan has flayed Chief Minister M Karunanidhi for writing an elegy for slain LTTE leader S P Tamilselvan. While not mentioning Karunanidhi by name, Elangovan, who frequently got into trouble for speaking his mind on controversial issues, asked: “There are people who write elegies, take out rallies and put up posters for the death of a leader of a banned outfit, which killed former PM Rajiv Gandhi. How can it be justified?” Referring to Karunanidhi’s reply to criticisms of his poetic tribute to LTTE leader Tamilselvan, Elangovan asked sarcastically: “If questioned, they say Tamil blood is flowing in their veins. When the LTTE killed innocent Tamils, didn’t they realise that it was Tamil blood too.” N Varadharajan, state secretary of another ally, the CPI, has also warned that it would not tolerate “autocracy”. “We joined hands with the DMK only to oppose the autocratic AIADMK and now if the DMK repeated the same, we will be forced to oppose it also,” he said.
