Congress MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan on Wednesday alleged that the SilverLine alignment was changed for Alappuzha's Mulakkuzha grama panchayat, where culture minister Saji Cherian's house is situated.
Thiruvanchoor told reporters that the Mulakkuzha panchayat was on the left side of the 'original' alignment. He held aloft a copy of the 'original alignment' that he said he had picked from a private website, themetrorailguy.com, last December.
"This alignment cannot be found on the K-Rail website now," he said. "The alignment on the K-Rail website now has the panchayat on the right side. How could such a change happen in such a short span had it not been for somebody's involvement," Thiruvanchoor said.
Thiruvanchoor said that the alignment tweak at Mulakkuzha was just one of the many such alignment changes. The Congress leader wanted K-Rail officials to disclose the beneficiaries of such alignment changes.
In fact, Thiruvanchoor had hurled a vague charge on March 22, when he said the SilverLine alignment was altered for the benefit of a minister. Saji Cherian, though he was not specifically named, countered this challenging Thiruvanchoor to prove his charges.
“I had no intention of naming anyone but now he has forced me to," Thiruvanchoor said. "I would reveal more if Saji Cherian refuses to keep shut," he said.
Saji Cherian responded quickly, and with practiced calm. "It is foolish to even say that the alignment has been changed. In fact, the alignment has not even been decided," the minister said. "I would even urge Thiruvanchoor to redirect the alignment over my house. I don't even want the compensation," he said.
He said he would willingly part with his house if the alignment passes through his property. "Anyway, my house will be bequeathed to Karuna Pain and Palliative Care Society. My two children (both his daughters are doctors) will offer free service at the charitable organisation," the minister said, and added: "Why should I be worried about my house being taken away by the SilverLine."
Thiruvanchoor stuck to his charge and said that it was the K-Rail officials who had to respond. "The K-Rail MD is the custodian of the project. it is his responsibility to respond," Thiruvanchoor said.
However, top K-Rail officials refused to make a public remark on the issue. "If the MLA gives us a written submission, we will respond to him. K-Rail did not want to react through the media on the issue," a top K-Rail official said.
Saji Cherian has been the most vociferous proponent of the K-Rail project. His public statement that there was no buffer zone for the SilverLine project provoked a huge backlash and was openly corrected by CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
Cherian was forced to swallow his words. "I did not hear what the secretary said but if my party thinks there is buffer zone, it will be true," the minister said. "No doubt. I was in the wrong. Am I not human?" he said, in a tone that sounded more combative than confessional.
The minister had also undermined the K-Rail protests saying terrorist elements were behind it. On Wednesday, he tempered his remark. "I did not say they were terrorists. I only said that the protesters were demonstrating the behaviour of terrorists," he said.