Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 2 (IANS): With the Congress now asking its legislators to withdraw from the International Visitor's Leadership Programme organised by the US State Department, none of the 10 lawmakers from the state will be going for it.
The programme is being held in a few locations in the US from Aug 4-24.
Speaking to IANS, senior Congress legislator and party whip Benny Behenan said that following the issues in Gaza, it was decided that the party legislators should not undertake the US trip.
Kerala assembly Speaker G.Karthikeyan, who was asked to nominate 10 legislators for the programme, had selected three from the Left-led opposition and seven from the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front.
But first the Communist Party of India-Marxist decided against sending its legislator T.V.Rajesh and also asked K.T.Jaleel - a CPI-M supported independent legislator - not to go. Soon, the Communist Party of India also asked its member K.M.Bijimol to drop out.
Then came the turn of the Indian Union Muslim League who decided to ask their legislators not to go.
"Mons Joseph of the Kerala Congress-Mani has also decided not to go and so there will be no Kerala legislator who will attend the event," said Behanan.