The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Chief Minister should apologise, says Chennithala

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Chief Minister should apologise, says Chennithala

Special Correspondent

Ramesh Chennithala

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala has demanded a public apology from Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan for his remarks against the former Chief Minister R. Sankar during a function marking his birth centenary.

Addressing a press conference here on Friday, Mr. Chennithala, referring to Mr. Achuthanandan’s statement that Sankar had played a negative role in the Punnapra-Vayalar agitation, said the late leader was prominent as one of the former Chief Ministers and the former president of the MPCC.

He worked for the welfare of the Ezhava community by leading the SNDP Yogam from the front. “The Chief Minister’s remarks were totally out of place. There seems to be an ulterior motive in making such an observation coming as it did during his birth centenary celebrations,” Mr. Chennithala said.

He accused Mr. Achuthanandan of distorting history and turning a blind eye to historical facts. R Sankar had worked for peace and amity during the tension filled days prior to the Punnapra-Vayalar incident.

He had taken the initiative to discuss the matter as authorised by the SNDP general council as any outbreak of violence would have led to the killing of hundreds of people belonging to his community.

Quoting from various sources, Mr. Chennithala said Sankar strived to ensure his community’s welfare. His positions were never acceptable to the Communist leaders of the time as it was a stumbling block to their attempts to appeal to the community, he said.

Congress protest

“The Congress will confront the current attempts to tarnish the image of its revered leader and show in poor light his contributions to the State,” Mr. Chennithala said. In reply to a question, he said he was duty bound as KPCC president to respond to any attempts to show a Congress statesman in poor light.

Mr. Chennithala criticised the Chief Minister for his remarks that the Congress was practising religion-based politics. He said Mr. Achuthanandan merely used the Congress platform to make adverse remarks against his own party’s attempts to flirt with religious and casteist forces.

Mr. Achuthanandan was conveniently forgetting that he was occupying the Chief Minister’s chair only because of the support of religious and communal forces.

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