Kerala - Kannur   

Needless furore, says Kodiyeri

Staff Reporter

Home Minister refutes Congress charge on law-and-order situation

KANNUR: Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said here on Sunday that the "cartridge issue" was being blown out of proportion.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Balakrishnan said the recovery of bullets from the bag of Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, who possessed a licensed revolver, was being projected as a big issue in a calculated manner.

Mr. Vijayan had been sanctioned gun licence during the previous United Democratic Front (UDF) Government, he said adding that nearly 100 political leaders in the State possessed gun licences.

Responding to Congress leaders' comments that the fact that the CPI(M) State secretary was carrying a gun during the Left Democratic Front (LDF) rule reflected badly on the law and order situation in the State, Mr. Balakrishnan asked whether the tight security provided to Congress president Sonia Gandhi similarly reflected on the law and order situation during the United Progressive Alliance regime.

Earlier, inaugurating the Kannur edition of Siraj daily here, Mr. Balakrishnan said some media organisations were thriving by targeting individuals and denigrating them.

He, however, added that the media had a great role to play in a democratic system.

`Leaders face threat'

Staff Reporter writes from Kochi: Education and Culture Minister M.A. Baby said the CPI(M) State secretary had to possess a gun in view of the political situation that prevailed in Kannur.

Talking to reporters after participating in the valedictory function of the Special Schools' Kalotsavam here, Mr. Baby said the media were blowing out of proportion what was in reality an insignificant incident.

Regarding the stand of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) officers at the Thiruvananthapuram airport who had declared that no bullets were spotted in Mr. Vijayan's hand baggage while boarding the flight to Chennai, the Education Minister said that it was for the Home Department to make further inquiries into the matter.

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