The Hindu : Kerala News : Campaign motivated, says KSSP

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Wednesday, Oct 10, 2007
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Kerala

Campaign motivated, says KSSP

Special Correspondent

KOZHIKODE: The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) has alleged that the recent order passed by a Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Ernakulam rejecting its defamation case against the editors of ‘Padom’ magazine “is being misinterpreted and used as a fuel for the ongoing anti-KSSP campaign.”

KSSP general secretary C.M. Muraleedharan also alleged here on Tuesday that an attempt was being made to create an impression that the arguments raised before the court by the activists of ‘Padom’ during the hearing in the case had been endorsed by the court.

“On the contrary, the court has held that the articles in ‘Padom’ are defamatory. However, it is true that the court also accepted the ‘Padom’ editors’ argument that the allegations against the Parishad in the article were made in good faith and in public interest. Accepting this argument, the court rejected the Parishad’s defamation case and acquitted Padom’s editors,” Mr. Muraleedharan contended.

The KSSP had clearly given convincing explanations for all the criticism raised against its research project, PLDP, which was the principal point of the anti-Parishad campaign. Funds were spent for the project strictly conforming with government rules. Audited accounts of expenditure were submitted to the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) which had sanctioned the project, he said.

Accounts of the IRTC, the Parishad’s research institute that conducted the PLDP, were also subjected to audit by the Accountant General’s Office. The then government of A.K. Antony had rejected Parishad’s own demand for an inquiry into the charges. Yet the campaign against the Parishad was being continued. Those behind it had a sinister agenda, Mr. Muraleedharan alleged.

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