Kerala - Alappuzha

Achuthanandan justifies tie-up with DIC(K)

Staff Reporter

CPI(M) fiercely opposed Emergency: Pinarayi

ALAPPUZHA: : Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan has said that the United Democratic Front (UDF) was trying to ``intimidate'' the Left Democratic Front (LDF) by raising the issue of seat adjustments with Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) (DIC-K) and the entry of former Union Minister P.C. Thomas into the Kerala Congress (Joseph).

Inaugurating a public meeting organised by the LDF at Poochakkal here on Sunday, he said the LDF had the tradition of defeating Mr. Karunakaran and his children in the elections. ``But now Mr. Karunakaran and his followers have openly come out against the misrule of Oommen Chandy,'' Mr. Achuthanandan said. The LDF had been fighting the Congress rule in the State for several years, he said. In this context, the LDF had entered into some seat adjustments with the DIC(K) to ensure the defeat of the UDF, the Opposition leader said.

Regarding P.C. Thomas, Mr. Achuthanandan said the LDF was aware that he had once joined hands with the BJP. Now he has joined the KC(Joseph) and we had spoken to the leaders of KC(J) about the need to isolate communal forces and they have understood it, he said. ``Mr. Thomas had also vowed to defeat the UDF and, therefore, we are cooperating with him,'' he said.

Mr. Achuthanandan reminded the Chief Minister that the LDF had successfully fought against the UDF in the last four years. ``We humbled them in the byelection to the Ernakulam Lok Sabha seat and then in the last general election to the Lok Sabha. In the Koothuparamba and Azhikode Assembly byelection, we defeated them by a huge margin. We had showed them three times already that the LDF could defeat them alone,'' he said.

Mr. Achuthanandan said there were widespread irregularities in the voters' list and the division of wards in local bodies. The UDF was trying to put up a good show by all means, he said. Mr. Achuthanandan said the UDF had taken over many of the powers of the local bodies in the State and had cut the Plan funds being allocated to the local bodies. He demanded that the State Government restore the powers taken from the local bodies. Mr. Achuthanandan attended nine public meetings of the LDF in the district on Sunday.

Pinarayi's challenge

Staff Reporter writes from Thrissur: Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan has challenged criticism that the CPI(M) stand on the Emergency is unclear after it made seat-sharing arrangements with the Democratic Indira Congress (Karunakaran) in local body elections.

Addressing an election meeting at Koorkkenchery on Sunday, Mr. Vijayan said the CPI(M) had fiercely opposed the Emergency and borne the brunt of the campaign.

``No one need remind us about the Emergency. Those who are afraid of the possible verdict of the local body elections have raked up the issue.''

Mr. Vijayan said that the United Democratic Front (UDF) would be routed in the elections. ``Even the support of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not help the UDF, which is a curse to the State.''

Mr. Vijayan alleged that the UDF had wrecked all sectors and landed the State in a debt trap.

``Education has become big business and the preserve of the moneyed. Problems in traditional industries have rendered about four lakh people jobless. The crises in the agriculture sector forced 1,300 farmers to commit suicide. The UDF did precious little to rehabilitate families of the victims. The functioning of Government hospitals leaves much to be desired. The State is being controlled by mafia groups,'' he said.

Mr. Vijayan contended that the Church's anti-Communist stand was a thing of the past. ``It is clear from recent statements by Archbishop M. Susaipakiam, Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, and Mar Jacob Thoomkuzhy, Thrissur Archbishop.''

The CPI(M) leader alleged that the UDF was protecting those involved in the Fr. Job Chittilapilly murder case.

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu