Priya Manickchand blasts Blue CAPS as “Anti-PPP” group; Blue CAPS responds

Education Minister Priya Manickchand has declared that persons who have expressed concern over Clinton Urling's move to the PPP are all Blue Caps supporters and the organisation is "anti PPP" and she is convinced that the supporters are also "Anti-PPP"

Priya Manickchand blasts Blue CAPS as “Anti-PPP” group; Blue CAPS responds

On the same day that the founder and former Chairman of the Blue Caps youth group Clinton Urling declared that he will be supporting the People’s Progressive Party Civic, one of his new PPP colleagues has fired off a “feral blast” at the group and has declared that it is “anti PPP” and she is convinced that its supporters have always been “anti PPP”.

Education Minister and PPP Civic candidate, Priya Manickchand turned to her Facebook page to address some of the comments that have been thrown at Urling over his decision to join the PPP Civic campaign.

Manickchand lumped all of those who have raised concerns about Urling’s decision into a group of “supporters of Blue Caps” and chastised them for their criticism.

She wrote “The supporters of Blue Caps, that new NGO, are all upset that Urling is reported to have joined the PPP’s slate and call him a sell out and a person who has betrayed them and their cause. They have actually gone further calling for a boycott of his business enterprise etc as they are wont to do. I dont understand. I thought the Blue Caps and their supporters had insisted and maintained that they were neutral. So how could joining one party, as opposed to another be a sell out? Why would you be upset if in the first place you were not supportive of one political party over another? It seems from these cries and venom being spewed now that these Blue Caps supporter folks were always anti PPP. Who started up this anti PPP group again? Interesting times.”

The recently installed Chairman of Blue Caps, Michael Leonard responded to Manickchand’s statement and said “for the record, no Blue Caps member has labeled Urling a sell out or has called for a boycott”.

He said all members of his organization are free to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed right to join any political party or form their own party should they desire. Leonard said Blue Caps aims to increase youth participation in decision making and leadership, especially the political process.

Manickchand followed up and said that while she did not say “members”, she maintains that supporters of the youth group who were waving “pom poms” for Blue Caps have been leading the concerns against his decision.

She called on the Blue Caps Chairman to call on the “supporters” to desist from their position even as she admitted that she should be forgiven for thinking that the “supporters” are knowledgeable of the activities of the group.

Leonard made it clear that he does not have control about what anyone says on their personal Facebook pages or other Facebook pages.

Urling walked away from the Chairmanship of Blue Caps back in March to explore his political ambitions.

He still served as a regular member, but over the weekend, other members became concerned as he removed himself completely from their WhatsAPP chat group, without any explanation.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login