Differences within the Congress surfaced yet again on Friday with Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan refusing to meet Alappuzha MLA A.D. Thomas and ignoring Kerala Students Union (KSU) president Aloshious Xavier at a public function, amid controversies over criticism raised by the duo on various issues.Mr. Xavier had taken strong exception to the appointment of government pleaders, citing their alleged links with the Students Federation of India (SFI) in the past while Mr. Thomas had demanded action against Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) M.R. Ajith Kumar for allegedly sabotaging the investigation against former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s personal security detail accused of assaulting Youth Congress black flag protesters in Alappuzha in November 2023.‘A small lapse’Mr. Satheesan, who attended a public programme at S.H. College, Thevara, on Friday, was seen walking away even as Mr. Xavier waited to speak to him. Later, speaking to the media, Mr. Xavier said he would continue to raise his demand with the government. “I am not sure whether the Chief Minister saw me. Over the past 10 years, the KSU has fought against the LDF government’s anti-people policies. This government is the result of the sweat and blood of the KSU. There was a small lapse on the part of the government in government pleader appointments. The KSU only pointed out that the government should be ready to correct the lapse,” he said.Mr. Thomas, who along with Ajay Juel Kuriakose, had unsuccessfully tried to meet Mr. Satheesan in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, was reportedly told through the CMO that Mr. Satheesan would meet him during a visit to Ernakulam on Friday. However, he was unable to meet the Chief Minister as he was not given an appointment.Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan was veiled in his criticism when he said that everyone has the responsibility to rise to the expectations of the public. “I don’t want to add fuel to the fire,” he added. Published - July 17, 2026 08:41 pm IST