VS terms allegations as 'nonsense'

By Our Staff Reporter

PALAKKAD, AUG. 28. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. V. S. Achuthanandan, has termed the allegations about his taking money from Manichan, one of the accused in the Kalluvathukkal liquor tragedy case, as ``nonsense.'' They are aimed at tarnishing his image, he has said.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr. Achuthanandan said he would face the allegations legally and politically. He said that he had never met Manichan or any of his men and the reports in a section of media about his name found in Manichan's diary is a third-rate attempt to defame political leaders like him. ``The people who know me for long would not believe in such canards against me,'' he said.

The CPI(M) leader said such false allegations are raised against people like him in order to divert attention by the Chief Minister, Mr. A. K. Antony, and others from corruption in appointing the consultant for the Japan-aided drinking water supply scheme.

He said that during the LDF rule, the UDF had disrupted the Assembly proceedings raising the issue of appointment of the consultant for the drinking water scheme. He said the LDF Government had decided to call global tenders for appointing the consultant. But when the UDF came to power, they appointed the same consultant which they had vehemently opposed while in the Opposition. This shows that the allegations raised by them against the LDF Government had no truth. They should, therefore, withdraw the allegations, he said.

Mr. Achuthanandan said that a section of the media in the State has stooped to such a low level and is publishing one- sided reports without verifying its authenticity.

CPI(M) alleges smear campaign

The CPI(M) State secretariat also took strong exception to what it termed as attempts by the liquor lobby to defame its leaders, Mr. Achuthanandan, Mr. T. Sivadasa Menon and Mr. T. K. Ramakrishnan.

In a statement in Thiruvananthapuram today, it pointed out that the LDF Government had taken stringent action against those responsible for the Kalluvathukkal liquor tragedy. Its effort was to jail the main accused and unearth secret storage tanks of the liquor barons. It had put an end to the practice of contractors selling toddy and auctioning of foreign liquor outlets.

Ever since it started such measures, the illicit liquor lobby and a handful of politicians supporting them had begun spreading canards against the CPI(M) leadership and the LDF.

The CPI(M) secretariat said the illicit liquor lobby and their henchmen have been active in the State for some time now. There are also reports that spirit was flowing into the State from neighbouring States. The attempt of the liquor mafia is to divert public attention from such large-scale smuggling of spirit and defame prominent CPI(M) leaders, the statement added.

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Section  : Southern States
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