Murali mends fences with Antony

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, NOV. 10. In a calculated move to mend fences with the Chief Minister, Mr. A.K. Antony, the KPCC president, Mr. K. Muraleedharan, today strongly defended the Chief Minister and the action he took following the arrest of the Kozhikode DCC president, Mr. M. Veerankutty.

``Let me make it very clear that there are no differences between the KPCC and the Congress Legislature Party, headed by Mr. Antony,'' he asserted at a press conference here. Mr. Muraleedharan made it clear that he was inclined to let bygones be bygones and urged party leaders and workers to sink their differences over the Kozhikode incident and work towards restoring unity in the party. Mr. Muraleedharan admitted that the Kozhikode incident had created a discordant note in the Congress party affairs.

The KPCC, he said, has appointed a three-member panel to inquire into the Neyyatinkkara incidents, including the attack on police. The PCC would take further action on the basis of the committee report, which would be submitted within 15 days. The committee would comprise Mr. Benny Behanan, KPCC general secretary who is in charge of Thiruvananthapuram district, Mr. Jossy Sebastian, KPCC joint secretary, and the DCC president, Mr. Peethambara Kurup.

Mr. Muraleedharan's decision to extend an olive branch to Mr. Antony is in contrast to the position his father, Mr. K Karunakaran, has been taking in recent days. Mr. Karunakaran even went to the extent of putting the Chief Minister on notice for his failure to bridle the police force and protect party leaders and workers.

Mr. Muraleedharan's gesture comes in the wake of high voltage criticism of his action in leading a march to the Kozhikode city commissioner's office in protest against Mr. Veerankutty's arrest even though he continued to justify his dharna before the commissioner's office by terming it as a spontaneous reaction. The olive branch should also be viewed in the context of the strong views expressed by the UDF convener, Mr. Oommen Chandy, about the way the police went about the arrest of Mr. Veerankutty and the status of the action against the cops.

Asked to comment on Mr. Chandy's views on the Kozhikode episode, Mr. Muraleedharan said Mr. Chandy was correct in his assessment that the way the police arrested Mr. Veerankutty was wrong, and the police officials' transfer was a punishment. Asked about Mr. Antony's statement that the transfers did not amount to punishment, Mr. Muraleedharan said the Chief Minister had his own limitations as a person heading a Government. It is not always possible for him to open up on various issues. The important point is that corrective steps have been taken and it hardly mattered what the action was termed as, he remarked and added that henceforth, the police officials would behave. Mr. Muraleedharan also condemned the Koyilandi police action.

As an extension to his bid to mend fences with the Chief Minister, Mr. Muraleedharan came down heavily against attempts of certain party leaders to make public statements on party affairs. Referring to his reactions following the arrests, Mr. Muraleedharan said the KPCC response to the Kozhikode incident had been taken unanimously at a meeting of its office-bearers. He had met the Chief Minister and conveyed the party workers' feelings after being authorised to do so.

Admittedly, there have been discordant notes on the Kozhikode incident. But since the Chief Minister had taken action, ``I appeal to all party leaders and workers to end controversies on this issue,'' he said.

In reply to another question, he said the KPCC fully subscribed to the view that the police should be allowed to function in an impartial way. But this, however, did not mean that the cops had the freedom to protect only workers of Opposition parties and take on Congress workers.

KPCC executive meet

Mr. Muraleedharan said the KPCC executive would meet in the first week of December. The date for the full-day session would be decided as per the convenience of the Chief Minister and the senior leader, Mr. K Karunakaran. The Congress Ministers in the

Antony Cabinet have been asked to reschedule their programmes and make themselves available for the executive meeting. He said the executive would discuss in detail the functioning of the UDF Government and the party.

The conclave would also deliberate on various policy issues, including those on increasing pension age, and liquor. Mr. Aryadan Mohammed, who is heading the KPCC toddy committee, said that its report was ready, and the executive would discuss the issue and take a decision. Similarly, it had been decided to complete the process of revamping the DCC and the block committees by December.

The KPCC also asked its general secretary, Mr. U.K. Basi, who is in charge of Palakkad district, to conduct an inquiry into the controversy between the Chittur MLA, Mr. K. Achuthan and the Kollengode Congress Block president. Since a departmental inquiry is on into the charges of molestation against him, the committee would avoid looking into this, he said.

Mr. Muraleedharan said the KPCC had decided to launch a massive agitation against the Central Government for its failure to take any effective steps to reach relief to the Kerala farmer who is facing a major crisis. We are waiting for the Kerala Government to pass the Farm Debt Relief legislation. And if no further steps are forthcoming on the part of the Centre, we would launch the agitation, he said.

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