People's Democracy

KERALA NEWSLETTER

LDF to Continue Boycotting Chief Minister

N S Sajith

AFTER organising a historic, grand siege on the state secretariat, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) of Kerala has decided to continue boycotting all programmes of the scam tainted chief minister, Oommen Chandy. LDF convener Vaikom Vishwan made this announcement at capital Thiruvananthapuram on August 21, 2013, adding that still more intensified struggles would follow. A meeting on September 12 will finalise the mode of struggle and public meetings will be held at all district headquarters.

Saying that the chief minister and his office must be included in the purview of the proposed judicial investigation, the LDF said it would not accept the chief minister’s argument that he would not be under the ambit of inquiry. LDF would not allow Chandy to attend any public programme in his capacity as chief minister.

The LDF felt that the secretariat picketing scored an unprecedented and unparalleled victory. The chief minister succumbed to the pressure mounted by this siege to announce a judicial inquiry.

In the meanwhile, an LDF subcommittee has prepared a draft on suggestions after the government sought its proposals about the mode of inquiry. These suggestions would be discussed and finalised by leaders, CPI leader C Divakaran, MLA, said.

INNER-CONGRESS RIVALRY CLAIMS ONE MORE LIFE

On August 16 evening, in a ghastly case of group rivalry, one more Youth Congress leader was killed in the central Kerala district of Thrissur. KPCC minority cell district convener Lalji Kollannur was brutally killed by Congress workers belonging to the rival group. This is the second murder of a Congress worker in the last three months.

Lalji, who was actively involved in the activities of Congress faction led by the chief minister, was the brother of Premji, a convict in the case of murder of Madhu Eachrath, a Youth Congress leader. Lalji’s murder is understandable a part of political vendetta.

The killing occurred at 6.30 p m in the presence of many people. Lalji was on his way to ancestral home in Ayyanthole to meet his parents when a motorcycle hit his scooter and then the criminals chopped off his body. Many wounds were found in his body.

On June 1, Madhu Eacharath was killed in front of his wife at a temple gate in Ayyanthole. Congress workers belong to the rival group alleged that Lalji too was behind the attack.

CONGRESS WORKERS MANHANDLE CHIEF WHIP

THE rift between the Congress and Kerala Congress (Mani), existing for a long time, further widened after Congress workers manhandled KC(M) leader and government chief whip P C George who has been consistently attacking the Congress and especially Oommen Chandy in the solar scam.On August 16, Congress workers attacked George when he was travelling through Earattupetta, a town in his constituency Poonjar in Kottayam district. He had a narrow escape from the attackers who were burning an effigy of George nearby.

On the very next morning, workers of the Congress and KC(M) engaged in a street fight in Mundakkayam after Congress workers hurled black flag on George who was about to attend a farmers meet there. Seven Congress workers were hospitalised. Congress leaders warned that the protest against the chief whip would continue. Same evening yet another street fight occurred in Konni town in Pathanamthitta.

A war of words between Congress leaders and George ensued after this incident. George said Oommen Chandy was digging his own grave by sending goons to attack him. He added that brothers of Anto Antony, Congress MP from Kottayam, had perpetrated the attack. In a reply to George, another Congress MP, P T Thomas, said George was trying to topple the UDF government.

In a scathing attack on George, Congress spokesman M M Hassan demanded the former’s immediate removal of George from the post of chief whip. He added that the Congress will officially make this demand upon KC(M) chief and finance minister K M Mani. George reacted that he was ready to quit the post only if the chief minister or Mani insisted, and that Hassan had no right to demand his resignation.