The Hindu : Kerala News : `RSP's views not disputed at meet'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 07, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

`RSP's views not disputed at meet'

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 6. The RSP State secretary, T.J. Chandrachoodan, today said that none of the LDF constituents had any difference of opinion when his party raised the Wahab issue at the LDF meet last Saturday, contrary to the impression created by certain media reports on the meet.

At a press conference here today, he said the issue was not that the Indian Union Muslim League had nominated a wealthy person as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections. "Our objection was that an ineligible person has been fielded for the election," he said, referring to the Muslim League candidate, P.V. Abdul Wahab's status as a Non-Resident Indian (NRI). An NRI could not become a voter as per the existing election rules and a person who was not in the electoral rolls could not contest an election.

Mr. Chandrachoodan said the CPI, however, expressed reservations about making it a public issue, since the stand of all political parties in Kerala was that NRIs should also be given voting rights.

"This is an entirely different matter, because the rules are yet to be changed. The CPI is acting as though it is not seized of the real issue," he said.

"We have no obligations to anyone... I have only respect for the stand the CPI(M) has taken at the LDF meet. All five CPI(M) leaders who participated in the meeting, V. S. Achuthanandan, Pinarayi Vijayan, E.K. Nayanar, Paloli Mohammed Kutty and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, agreed that the issue is genuine," he said.

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