The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Propriety of VS' continuance as Chief Minister questioned

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Wednesday, May 30, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Propriety of VS' continuance as Chief Minister questioned

Special Correspondent

Chandy condemns faction fights in parties

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy said on Tuesday that the infighting in the CPI(M) or the Congress was not over ideology, and the people disliked such faction fights.

Participating in a meet the press organised by the Press Club here, the Opposition Leader said the controversies being generated inside political parties were not for the people but for the benefit of its leaders. "Whichever be the political party, the people do not countenance controversies created to protect the self-interests its leaders."

Mr. Chandy said that the undesirable things had happened in the Congress and the people had punished the party for that. Now things were better in the party. Though there would be difference in a democratic party, issues were being settled democratically through discussions.

Poser to Polit Bureau

Referring to the suspension of Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan from the CPI(M) Polit Bureau, the Opposition Leader said the Polit Bureau should explain whether it was morally right to allow Mr. Achuthanandan, whom they did not trust, to continue as Chief Minister. The administration was paralysed on account of the faction fight in the party and suspensions were not going to solve the problem.

Mr. Chandy said the first year of LDF rule had seen unparalleled attacks on the media and the judiciary and lock-up deaths. With the suspensions, it had become clear that the faction fight in the party was not the creation of the media.

Munnar action

Mr. Chandy said he doubted whether the Government was turning a Nelson's eye towards certain encroachments at Munnar. Though mobile towers had been removed from land encroached by the brother of a CPI(M) leader, the land had not yet been taken over.

The UDF would publish a list of encroachments against which the Government had not taken any action so far. Though some buildings had been demolished, criminal cases were yet to be filed against the encroachers. The Government had to act against the encroachers because the UDF had taken a strong stand, he said.

He said that the readmission of K. Karunakaran into the Congress was not in the agenda. The KPCC executive had discussed the report of the Padmarajan Committee that went into the reasons for the UDF's defeat in the Assembly elections. KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala would now take necessary action on the report.

Colleges issue

He said that the Government had surrendered to the managements of the self-financing professional colleges. Though the Opposition had maintained that only the formula proposed by the previous Government was workable, the Government went ahead with fresh legislation. Though the Government was responsible for the crisis in the sector, the Opposition was being cooperative in solving the issue. It had adopted a soft approach towards the Government, as this was its first year. Future approach would depend upon the functioning of the Government. In any case, it was not for destructive agitations against the Government. He said the Government had stopped disbursement of welfare pensions. No progress had been achieved in the implementation of Metro Rail Project in Kochi and enforcement of the Felonious Activities Act.

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