Do not cross ‘Lakshman rekha'  - Azad

Chennai: Being a democratic party, the Congress always gives a long rope to leaders for expressing their views, but action will follow if someone crosses the ‘Lakshman rekha' and publicly airs views not in tune with the party's policy, said Ghulam Nabi Azad, Union Health Minister and All India Congress Committee general secretary in-charge of Tamil Nadu, here on Tuesday. After addressing the executive meeting of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, Mr. Azad told reporters that the Congress was a big democratic party. Within it also leaders expressed their views. Time and again, the Congress high command had asked them not to air views, which were not in tune with the party's policies, in public. “Sometimes we give a long rope but action will follow if someone crosses the Lakshman rekha,” Mr. Azad said when asked if the party would act against dissidents who were against continuing the alliance with the DMK. Mr. Azad said he had asked TNCC leaders to strengthen the party and prepare for next year's Assembly elections to win more seats in active collaboration with the DMK as the Central and State governments had implemented infrastructure and welfare schemes on an unprecedented scale. Asked if the Congress would demand more seats from the DMK and a share in power in the next government, Mr. Azad said it was the party's internal matter. The Congress would celebrate its 125th year and Sonia Gandhi's fourth consecutive term as party president at a function in Tiruchi on October 9, in which supporters of S. Thirunavukarasar would join the party formally.