The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : LDF puts blame on UDF leaders

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Sunday, Jul 20, 2008
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

LDF puts blame on UDF leaders

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V. S. Achuthanandan, Education Minister M.A. Baby and leaders of various Left Democratic Front (LDF) constituents have come down heavily on the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) for the death of James Augustine, headmaster of a lower primary school in Malappuram, allegedly in the violence unleashed by Muslim Youth League (MYL) activists.

Talking to reporters from Delhi where he had gone along with his party colleagues to attend the CPI(M) Central committee meeting, the Chief Minister said the UDF leadership could not escape blame and hoped that people would at least now see through the games of the Opposition over the Class VII textbook. The Education Minister said it was a case of murder. Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said he had instructed Malappuram Superintendent of Police P. Vijayan to visit the scene and report to the government.

In Thiruvananthapuram, Director of Public Instruction A.P.M. Mohammed Haneesh said the government would go ahead with the cluster meetings and would initiate immediate action against teachers who had not reported for the meetings on Saturday.

Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary Veliyam Bhargavan termed the death of the teacher ‘shocking and barbaric.’

Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) State secretary V.P. Ramakrishna Pillai said the incident was a disgrace to the State.

Pinarayi flays Chandy

CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy and UDF leaders were responsible for the death.

In a statement here, Mr. Vijayan alleged that the teacher was beaten and trampled to death by Muslim Youth League (MYL) activists. The incident was unparalleled in the history of the State. Mr. Vijayan said the murder of the teacher was part of the Muslim League strategy to turn the stir over the textbook into rioting in order to divert attention from its decision to play a subservient role to U.S. imperialism by supporting the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal.

In another statement, SFI State president P. Biju and secretary A.N. Shamseer said the organisation would organise an ‘Education Bandh’ on Monday. All India Youth Federation (AIYF) State secretary P.S. Supal said the organisation would observe Monday as a day of protest.

DYFI to counter stir

Staff Reporter writes from Palakkad: State President of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) M.B. Rajesh has warned the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) and other communal organisations that their “violent” agitation in the name of the controversial Class VII social science textbook would be countered by the DYFI.

KGOA to join stir

Special Correspondent adds from Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Gazetted Officers Association (KGOA) will join the strike called on Monday by various teachers and service organisations in the State to protest against the death of a teacher in Malappuram allegedly after he was beaten up by those who were trying to prevent cluster meetings of teachers, said KGOA general secretary K. Sivakumar.

Autopsy

A post-mortem examination to ascertain the cause of death of James Augustine will be conducted at the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital on Sunday.

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