Thrissur, 10 March (H.S.): Posters criticising former Member of Parliament and senior Congress leader T.N. Prathapan appeared in the heart of Thrissur city on Tuesday morning, triggering discussions within local political circles and among party workers.

The posters were found pasted on the walls of the Thrissur Press Club, a prominent location in the city centre. Carrying sharp criticism of the Congress leader, the posters were issued under the banner “Save Congress”, though the identity of those responsible for putting them up remains unclear.

In the posters, Prathapan is accused of betraying the family of veteran Congress leader K. Karunakaran, who was widely known in Kerala politics as “Leader”. One of the most striking lines in the posters describes Prathapan as a “Judas who betrayed Karunakaran’s family,” using strong language to question his political role in Thrissur.

The posters also accuse him of weakening the Congress organisation in Thrissur. According to the messages printed on them, Prathapan has allegedly been responsible for damaging the party’s strength in the district. Another line in the posters asks why he harbours such hostility towards the family of Karunakaran.

Further allegations mentioned in the posters include claims that Prathapan was responsible for defeating Padmaja Venugopal, daughter of Karunakaran, in an election and subsequently pushing her out of the party. The posters also accuse him of politically sidelining K. Muraleedharan, Karunakaran’s son and a senior Congress leader.

The posters quickly drew attention in the busy Press Club area, with passers-by and journalists noticing the strong language used against the Congress leader. However, there has been no official confirmation regarding who printed or pasted the posters.

Soon after the posters surfaced, some Congress workers reportedly removed and tore them down. Party leaders in Thrissur have not yet issued an official statement about the incident.

The appearance of the posters comes amid continuing factional tensions within the Congress in Kerala, particularly in Thrissur district, where differences between various party groups have surfaced repeatedly in recent years.

Police or civic authorities have not yet indicated whether an inquiry will be launched to identify those behind the posters. For now, the incident has added another layer to the ongoing political debates within the district Congress unit.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman