The Hindu : Murali to seek probe into funds flow

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 23, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala

Murali to seek probe into funds flow

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI FEB. 22. The KPCC president, K.Muraleedharan, has said that it is the responsibility of the Government to inquire into the funds received by the Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha which has utilised the same to organise a struggle.

The demand for an inquiry would be put forth before the UDF liaison committee meeting on Sunday. It needs to be examined whether the Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha should be banned, he said.

Mr. Muraleedharan was speaking to presspersons at Thripunithura on the occasion of a Congress leadership camp conducted there today.

He said it is clear that the Adivasi Gothra Maha Sabha does not enjoy the support of the people as it was the people who rounded up its leaders, C.K. Janu, and M. Geethanandan, and handed them over to the police. He said the police action against Adivasis had come late. An inquiry is needed on the funds flow and not on the police action, he said. Ms. Janu was never an Adivasi leader; Naxalites were behind her, he said.

Replying to questions, he said the UDF Government did not do anything to influence the course of the legal procedure initiated against the former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader, K. Karunakaran, in the palmolein case. The innocence of Mr. Karunakaran would be ultimately proved, he added.

`Govt. erred'

Our Staff Reporter writes from Thrissur:

Mr. Muraleedharan has said that the UDF Government has committed some mistakes in handling the tribal land issue.

Inaugurating a party camp at Nadathara near here today, he, however, said tomorrow's UDF liaison committee meeting will formulate policy guidelines on how to deal with the tribal land issue. The KPCC president claimed that he had warned the Government earlier itself that Ms. Janu and other leaders leading the agitation are Naxallites. But the Government went on dealing with them.

In the Muthanga issue, ``I was not consulted though I am the MP from that area''. The MLAs in the area too were not consulted.

He, however, denied that the police action against the tribals in Muthanga was wrong. The police had resorted to firing only when they found no other alternative with forest officials and locals being taken hostages and tortured.

He said the Government is not prepared for any compromise on the self-financing medical college issue and will take all steps, including introducing legislation, to ensure that 50 per cent of the seats in such colleges are earmarked for meritorious students.

He said the Veekshanam daily will be republished from May and the date will be decided on the convenience of the party president, Sonia Gandhi.

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