The Hindu : Kerala News : CPI(M) accused of intimidation

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Wednesday, Jul 18, 2007
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Kerala

CPI(M) accused of intimidation

Special Correspondent

Politics of blackmail: Chandy

Flays charges against Chennithala
Says CPI(M) creating a smokescreen

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy has termed undemocratic the Speaker’s decision to disallow a discussion in the Assembly on the “politics of blackmail and intimidation” being used by the State Government to silence critics.

At a press conference here on Tuesday, he said the strategy of intimidation was being employed by the CPI(M) and the Government not only against Opposition politicians but also against the media and the judiciary. The Government’s decision to initiate a Vigilance investigation into an old allegation against Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala was the latest instance of this strategy in action. He said the allegation against Mr. Chennithala was to “create a smokescreen” to hide the CPI(M)’s embarrassment over the recent bribery scandals involving its newspaper Deshabhimani.

Mr. Chandy said the allegation of bribery against Mr. Chennithala was first raised two years ago. The KPCC president had sent a defamation notice against the person who had levelled the baseless allegation against him in public. The person concerned had subsequently withdrawn the allegation and tendered his apologies to Mr. Chennithala.

Mr. Chandy said Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had not bothered to study anything about the history of this “wild allegation,” while making his statement in the Assembly on Monday. The same person who had withdrawn the allegation and tendered his apologies had now come back with the old charges, he said.

He said the previous United Democratic Front Government had handled the police investigation in the Kanichukulangara muder case with total efficiency, arresting nine of the 10 accused in the case. [The allegation against Mr. Ramesh Chennithala, now being probed by the Vigilance, is that he had accepted money to subvert this investigation.] The police had also announced a reward for anyone giving information about the absconding person.

On the other hand, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government did everything to sabotage the investigation. Soon after coming to office, the LDF Government shifted all the officers who were handling the Kanichukulangara case and even manipulated the legal proceedings to provide the opportunity for all the 10 accused to receive bail from the court. The absconding person too had surrendered before the police by then.

At another press conference, Law Minister M. Vijayakumar justified the Speaker’s decision to disallow a discussion in the Assembly on the subject of the “Government’s policy of intimidation.”

He said though the Speaker had refused to allow the subject to be discussed as an adjournment motion, he had offered to consider it being introduced as a submission in the House. The Opposition did not accept the Speaker’s ruling, he noted.

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