VS poser to Sonia on 'Cong.-BJP tie-up'

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 30. The LDF convener, Mr. V. S. Achuthanandan, has shot off an open letter to the Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, asking her to clarify, among other things, her stand on the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. A. K. Antony's statement that the UDF would accept BJP votes in the Assembly election.

Mr. Achuthanandan has drawn the Congress president's attention to the BJP's `attacks on secularism and the minorities' and reminded her about her own statements about the threats posed by the BJP. He sought to know how then the UDF led by her party could enter into an open understanding with the BJP.

Mr. Achuthanandan wanted to know whether the Congress was silent on the liberalised import policy of the BJP Government because these policies were initiated by her party. Farmers in the State, he pointed out, were experiencing severe hardship on account of the import policies, he said.

Referring to the Tehelka issue, Mr. Achuthanandan has pointed out that her party unit in Kerala did not launch any campaign against the BJP Government as decided by the Bangalore session of the AICC and wondered whether this was the result of the understanding that her party has struck with the BJP in the State.

Mr. Achuthanandan criticised the Congress for not providing adequate representation to women in the party's candidate list and sought to know Ms. Gandhi's views on the subject. He wanted to know whether the Congress president was aware of the revolt in her party over the denial of seats to youngsters.

He told Ms. Gandhi that the people of Kerala are keen on knowing the reasons why the UDF had stated in its manifesto that it would review the liquor policy of the LDF Government, which was aimed at freeing the industry from the clutches of liquor barons.

Alleging that the Congress has entered into alliances with majority and minority communal organisations such as the BJP and the PDP, he has wondered how such a combine could provide secular governance to the people of the State.

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Section  : State Elections
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