The Hindu : Kerala News : NCP keen on tie-up with UDF

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Wednesday, Aug 08, 2007
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Kerala

NCP keen on tie-up with UDF

Special Correspondent

Not for merger with any party: Murali

Karunakaran criticises policies of the Government
Says law and order situation worsening in the State

Thiruvananthapuram: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has said that it will consider a tie-up with the United Democratic Front on platforms against the anti-people policies of the LDF Government. But the NCP will retain its separate identity and does not want a merger with any party.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, NCP State president K. Muraleedharan said his party was looking forward to be part of a coalition, but did not propose to merge with any political party.

The circumstances that prevailed when the NCP was formed in 1999 and the DIC-NCP merger continued to be the same. The Kozhikode meeting of the party, to be addressed by national president Sharad Pawar, would discuss the party’s coalition ties and the tactics to be adopted during the next elections.

The NCP would continue its discussions with non-Left parties in the LDF on forging an alliance.

Mr. Muraleedharan alleged that the CPI(M) was trying to install a Bengal model rule in the State, seizing total control of the administration. He said the complaint of a ruling front MLA against PWD Minister T.U. Kuruvilla and the Finance Department’s refusal to release funds for public works were nothing but attempts to oust the Kerala Congress (Joseph) from the LDF.

He said factional feud had affected the State administration. The Government should start functioning immediately or else the LDF should be prepared to remit office without testing the patience of the people.

Law and order

The former Chief Minister K Karunakaran on Tuesday said that the law and order situation in the State had collapsed to such an extent that it would have been a fit case for the exercise of Article 356 of the Constitution had circumstances not changed.

Participating in a meet-the-press programme, organised by the Kerala Union of Working Journalists on the occasion of its 45th State conference, Mr. Karunakaran said the Constitution ensured the protection of life and property of the people. The law and order situation under the LDF rule had collapsed with even the courts handing out a charge-sheet against the Government on this ground. Mr. Karunakaran hastened to add that under the current situation, the popularity of the Government should be tested on the floor of the legislature.

The veteran leader said the Government’s policies in the health and education sectors created apprehension and anxiety among the people, students, youth and minority communities. In reply to a question, he said he did not believe that the Catholic Church had crossed the “Lakshmana Rekha” by taking hard positions on the self-financing colleges’ fee issue. The Church was conscious about the changing social situation and he would continue to support it till it crossed the Lakshmana Rekha. He blamed the Chief Minister for the LDF Government’s failure. The way the Government had been handling the self-financing colleges issue did not add to its image, leaving the students seeking admissions in the lurch.

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