The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Congress demands Paloli's resignation

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Friday, Feb 09, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Congress demands Paloli's resignation

Special Correspondent

Following issue of High Court notice to him in a contempt of court case

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has demanded the resignation of Local Self-Government Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty in the context of the High Court notice to him in a contempt of court case.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala said this was the first time that the High Court had initiated such proceedings against a Minister. The Minister's statement, prominently telecast by television channels, violated the oath of office he had taken. "Mr. Paloli Mohammed Kutty should show the decency to remit office if he is a person who upholds democratic values," Mr. Chennithala said.

In a separate press conference, Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy also demanded the Minister's resignation, stating that his action violated the oath of office. Both alleged that the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and its feeder organisations were making attempts to undermine the credibility of the judiciary and other democratic institutions.

Mr. Chennithala criticised the Advocate-General's attempt to protect the Minister even when the State Government was not a party to the contempt proceedings initiated suo motu by the High Court. The Government was nowhere in the picture and the AG's action was against the law.

Mr. Chennithala said the issue could not be viewed in isolation and should be read along with the campaign of the CPI(M) and its feeder organisations against the judiciary. Attempts to undermine the credibility of democratic institutions that had stood the test of time were a CPI(M) conspiracy. Its attempts to capture universities and Devaswoms and the campaign against the judiciary should be seen in the same light, he said terming as a dangerous trend the Students Federation of India's announcement that it would impose a blockade against judges.

In reply to a question, Mr. Chennithala said the Chief Minister should persuade his colleague to resign if he refused to voluntarily do so.

Price rise

He said a joint meeting of KPCC office-bearers and District Congress Committee presidents had discussed the price rise in the State. The prices had gone up because of major changes brought to the food policy by undermining the public distribution system.

The Civil Supplies Corporation had failed to perform its basic function of market intervention and the Government further weakened it without giving any kind of subsidy. Instead of taking firm and concrete actions, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government was putting the blame on the Centre's policy. The LDF plan for agitation against the Centre would not sell any more, he added.

The KPCC meeting registered its strong protest against the move to bifurcate the Palakkad Railway Division by forming a separate division at Salem. It decided to submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking their intervention in the matter.

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