The Hindu : Kerala News : Kunhalikutty issue: UDF plays it safe

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Thursday, Nov 25, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Kunhalikutty issue: UDF plays it safe

By Our Special Correspondent

The UDF meeting in progress at Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday. Seen from right, the Industries Minister, P.K. Kunhalikutty, the Finance Minister, Vakkom Purushothaman,Vayalar Ravi, MP, the Revenue Minister, K.M. Mani, the UDF convener, P. P. Thankac han, the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy and the former Chief Minister, A.K. Antony.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, NOV. 24. The UDF sought to play it safe in taking a position on the Kozhikode ice-cream parlour sex scandal case and the demand for the Industry Minister, P. K. Kunhalikutty's resignation. Even though the UDF liaison committee discussed the Kozhikode controversy, the ruling coalition steered clear of coming out with a resolution expressing solidarity with the Minister.

The closest that the UDF went was to state that the law would take its own course and all steps would be taken to pursue the current case in the High Court by getting the stay vacated. The UDF convener, P. P. Thankachan, while addressing a press conference after the liaison committee meeting, said that Mr. Kunhalikutty explained his position on the Kozhikode ice-cream parlour sex scandal case.

Stating that the UDF had also discussed the Kililoor and Kaviyoor sex racket cases, Mr. Thankachan said the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, had given a brief on the various steps the State Government had taken in the case. Mr. Chandy informed the committee that expeditious steps would be taken to complete the existing inquiry into the case. He had given directions to the counsel handling the case to get the stay vacated without any further delay. "Under this circumstance, the committee did not enter into any detailed discussions," Mr. Thankachan said.

The leaders of various constituents had expressed their views on the issue prior to winding up the discussions on this. "The law would take its own course. There was no discussion on the Minister's resignation," he said.

Senior Congress leaders met shortly before the UDF meet to decide on the line to be adopted with regard to the ice-cream parlour sex scandal case. The general consensus was to avoid making any assertive statements that could be misinterpreted, given the fact that the final word was yet to be stated in the case now before the High Court. Leaders of constituents wanted the UDF to take a more aggressive stand by exposing the VIP in the Kililoor case to corner the CPI (M). However, the Chief Minister shot down the proposal stating that it would be better to keep away from such blackmail tactics.

Asked about K. M. Mani's demand for a Rajya Sabha seat, Mr. Thankachan said it was a bilateral matter to be sorted out between the Congress and the Kerala Congress (M). With regard to the RSP (B) tussle, he said the UDF would rather follow the LDF path (in accommodating splinter groups within the coalition). He said the Labour Minister, Babu Divakaran, had given him a letter seeking the ouster of A. V. Thamarakshan, from the UDF, as his faction was the real RSP (B). Mr. Thamarakshan had also given a letter seeking the ouster of Mr. Divakaran, he said.

Support price

The UDF liaison committee asked the Government to announce support price for coffee, pepper and areca nut and release the necessary funds to procurement agencies to buy the commodities.

The UDF convener said that the UDF had also recommended procurement of pineapple at the rate of Rs. 4.50 a kg. It also entrusted the Chief Minister and the Agriculture Minister, K. R. Gouri, to take up with the Union Commerce and Agriculture Ministry, the issue relating to the adverse impact Sri Lankan imports was having on the agriculture economy of the State. The prices of rubber, copra, tea, and coffee were under strain owing to the large-scale import of these commodities from Sri Lanka under the Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. The committee wanted the Government to give directions to former arrack shop owners to either rehabilitate jobless arrack workers or pay them compensation within a time-frame. Some of the shop owners were resisting the Government move to sort the problems faced by arrack workers who were rendered jobless following the arrack ban in 1996. The next UDF meeting would be held on December 7, Mr. Thankachan said.

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