Veteran Congress leader PP Thankachan dies at 86
Kochi, Sep 11 (PTI): Veteran Congress leader and former Kerala Assembly Speaker P P Thankachan died at a private hospital in Aluva near here on Thursday.
He was 86.
Thankachan, who had been under treatment for age-related ailments for the past month, also suffered from a chest infection and was on ventilator support. He breathed his last around 4.30 pm, hospital authorities said.
Born in Angamaly on July 29, 1939, Thankachan entered active politics through the Congress. He became the chairman of the Perumbavoor Municipal Council at the age of 26. He was first elected to the Kerala Assembly from Perumbavoor in 1982.
He went on to represent the constituency till 2001.
He served as the Opposition Chief Whip between 1987 and 1991 and later as the state’s Agriculture Minister from May 1995 to 1996. In 2004, he became the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).
Thankachan also held several other positions, including UDF Convenor, member of the Rubber Board, and chairman of Kerala Marketfed. His wife is TV Thankamma. He has two daughters and a son. The funeral will be held later.
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TMC's reign of terror prevails in West Bengal: Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday strongly condemned the killing of party worker Debdeep Chatterjee allegedly by TMC goons, and said his party will not bow before this politics that stains India's non-violent tradition.
Chatterjee was brutally murdered in Asansol during post-poll violence. He was closely associated with Asansol North Congress candidate Prasenjit Puitandi, the party claimed.
The worker was attacked and beaten by those linked to the ruling All India Trinamool Congress and succumbed to injuries shortly thereafter, the West Bengal Congress alleged.
"The murder of Congress worker Debdeep Chatterjee by TMC-affiliated goons after the elections is utterly reprehensible. My deepest condolences to the grieving family," Gandhi said in a post on X.
"In West Bengal today, it is not democracy but TMC's reign of terror that prevails. Intimidating, attacking, and eliminating opposing voices after votes are cast -this has become the defining character of TMC," Gandhi also said.
He said the Congress' politics has never been based on violence, nor will it ever be.
"We too have lost our workers, yet we have always chosen the path of non-violence and the Constitution. This is our legacy, this is our resolve. "The demand is clear -immediate arrest of all the guilty, the harshest punishment, and grant full security and compensation for Debdeep's family," the former Congress chief said.
"We will not bow before this politics that stains India's non-violent tradition. Justice will be done," Gandhi said.
The West Bengal Congress, in a post on its X handle, said this tragic incident exposes the complete collapse of law and order in the state and raises serious questions about the safety of opposition workers in West Bengal.
"The fact that such violence has occurred immediately after polling highlights a deeply disturbing pattern of political intimidation and vendetta," it said.
The Congress stands firmly with the bereaved family and demands immediate arrest of all those responsible for this heinous crime and a fair, impartial, and time-bound investigation. It also said adequate compensation and protection for the victim's family.
"It is deeply concerning that even an FIR had not been registered at the time of reporting, further indicating administrative apathy in the face of such a grave incident.
"The Indian National Congress reiterates that democracy cannot survive in an atmosphere of fear and violence. We will continue to raise our voice against such atrocities and fight to ensure justice for every victim," the party said.
The Congress said the murder of Chatterjee by goons associated with TMC is highly condemnable and termed it a direct attack on democracy.
"Democracy in West Bengal has ended, and TMC's reign of terror continues. Silencing and subduing opposing voices through violence has become TMC's hallmark. We demand that the culprits be arrested immediately and given the harshest possible punishment. We will not allow the democracy of our country to be destroyed by these anti-people forces," the Congress said.
