The Hindu : Rashtriya Mahasabha joins issue with BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Rashtriya Mahasabha joins issue with BJP

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 22. The Rashtriya Mahasabha, the political outfit launched by tribal leader, C.K. Janu, has joined the issue with P.S.Sreedharan Pillai, the State president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the observations made by the former President, K.R.Narayanan, on `India Shining'.

At a press conference here this evening, Ms. Janu, the chairperson of the Rashtriya Mahasabha and M.Geethanandan, its general secretary, described Mr. Sreedharan Pillai's criticism of Mr. K.R.Narayanan as "highly defamatory and totally unwarranted".

Mr. Pillai and the BJP had certain ulterior motives that prompted him to make such an observation. There was reason to believe that he was too eager to divert the attention of the people from vital issues, when the elections were round the corner. There were many more serious issues in Kerala, which affected the life of the common masses, they said.

The State was facing such serious crises such as acute water scarcity experienced all over the State and unemployment in the agriculture and plantation sectors that has led to suicides of farmers and workers, they maintained.

Even when those accused in the Marad massacre received ex gratia payment of several lakhs from the Government as per an understanding between the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP, with the Left Democratic Front remaining silent over the issue, the victims of human rights violation in Muthanga have not been paid compensation of any kind, Ms. Janu alleged.

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