CPM to face Oppn protests to 'overthrow' govt head-on

Thiruvananthapuram: The protests being organised by the Opposition and the BJP demanding the resignation of minister K T Jaleel were intended to overthrow the government, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said after the party’s state secretariat meeting.

The party will mobilise the people and face the protests. No one should imagine that Minister Jaleel will resign and leave due to all these protests, Kodiyeri said.

The Opposition parties have been demanding Jaleel’s resignation ever since he was summoned by central agencies investigating the diplomatic baggage gold smuggling case for questioning.

The party state secretariat meeting has decided to organise anti-violence groups in all area centres on Azhikodan Day on September 23 to expose the misdeeds of the Congress and the BJP, Kodiyeri said.

The protests have reached a point where the ministers are being attacked. There were such violent moves targeting ministers K T Jaleel and A K Balan. The CPM does not fear these protests. Those indulging in this will get isolated tomorrow. The government will march ahead with its developmental and welfare activities, he said.

According to Kodiyeri, Muslim League general secretary P K Kunhalikutty’s statement that it is the CPM, and not the BJP, that is its enemy makes evident what they fear.

Attempts are being made to eliminate the possibility of the LDF continuing to remain in power. People from the RSS to the SDPI are in the anti-CPM alliance, he said.

"Minister KT Jaleel was summoned by the NIA as a witness in the gold smuggling case. Who can believe that Jaleel, who has said that he does not even have a grain of gold in his house, smuggled gold?," the CPM state secretary said.

"Did Oommen Chandy vacate the post of Chief Minister when he was questioned by the judicial commission (in the Solar scam)? The Opposition is repeating what it had done against the ministers during the Liberation Struggle," he said.

This Cabinet is not ready to give up everything and take a step back, Kodiyeri said.

On the investigations by the central agencies, he said the CPM will react if it has any complaint about the way they are conducting the inquiries. The state government can function only in the manner of a government. The party and the government are not one. The CPM has only said that the action of the Enforcement Directorate in revealing the questioning of Jaleel was unusual, he said.

On the controversies over the Life Mission project, he said the Vigilance Department will look into anything that needs to be investigated. So far, nothing of that sort has emerged, he said.

He said the decision of the Kerala Congress (M) to leave the UDF was welcome. But before the LDF can discuss joining hands with it, the party should first make known its political position.

Anti-Violence campaign on Sept 29

Thiruvananthapuram: The Left Front has decided to face the violent protests of the UDF and the BJP together, the Front’s convener A Vijayaraghavan said after its leadership meeting.

An anti-violence campaign will be organised in the districts on September 29, in which the LDF leaders will participate.

In the meeting, there was a strong sentiment against the Opposition's move to overthrow the government, he said.

The meeting also discussed the preparations for the local body elections. The LDF will consider the case of Kerala Congress (M) only after it clarifies its political position, he said.

No one brought up any of the controversies now raging during the meeting. The LDF will meet again on September 29, Vijayaraghavan said.