Date:31/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/31/stories/2008103152940300.htm

Kerala - Thrissur

BJP flays Paloli’s comment

Staff Reporter

Thrissur: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday challenged a statement by Local Administration Minister Paloli Mohammed Kutty about terrorist outfits reportedly recruiting people from Kerala.

The Minister, now in charge of the Home Department, had termed the media reports that 300 persons had been recruited from Kerala by terrorist outfits as baseless.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP state general secretary A.N. Radhakrishnan said the Minister’s stand on organisations such as the National Development Front (NDF) was mysterious.

“The Minister takes a soft stand on such organisations fearing the NDF would reveal its secret links with the LDF. The NDF had financially supported both the LDF and UDF during the previous Assembly elections.

“The crackdown on people in Kerala with terror links should be accompanied by investigation into Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy, Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy and KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala for visiting Sufiya Maudany, wife of PDP leader Abdul Nasir Maudany. Kerala Congress(B) leader R. Balakrishna Pillai has apologised for having shared the stage with Mr. Maudany after he was released from jail," he said.