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Kerala Congress refutes reports of VT Balram quitting party post
The Congress state chief said Balram, a former two-time MLA and currently vice-president of the state unit, was being wrongly dragged into a controversy by certain CPI(M) leaders and a section of the media
Congress Kerala unit chief Sunny Joseph on Monday refuted reports of VT Balram stepping down as the head of the party’s digital media cell in the wake of the controversial ‘X’ post about Bihar and beedis.
The post, deleted after it drew criticism from all quarters, had read, “Beedis and Bihar start from B. Cannot be considered a sin anymore.”
The Congress state chief said Balram, a former two-time MLA and currently vice-president of the state unit, was being wrongly dragged into a controversy by certain CPI(M) leaders and a section of the media.
“It is being wrongly portrayed that Balram somehow was responsible for the ‘X’ post. He has not voluntarily resigned as the head of the digital media cell nor has he been asked to do so. He continues as the head of the cell. At the same time, as per his suggestion, a revamp of the digital media cell is on the party’s agenda before the upcoming local body and Assembly elections,” Joseph said in a statement.
“The KPCC rejects with complete contempt the malicious moves of the CPI(M) and sections of the ‘hired’ media to constantly attack and embroil popular leaders of the Congress,” he said.
Balram, in a social media post, reiterated that he had no knowledge of the controversial post and became aware of it’s content after it was published. “When the lapse by the team handling the party’s ‘X’ handle came to light, I immediately gave directions to take it down. My party is fully aware of it,” he said.
