Southern States - Kerala   

UDF to go ahead with fast: Chandy

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM MARCH. 21. The UDF Convener, Oommen Chandy today welcomed the Opposition LDF's decision to withdraw its agitation in the light of the State Government's decision to hand over the Muthanga cases to the CBI, but made it clear that the UDF would go ahead with the proposed fast by the Chief Minister and other UDF leaders.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Chandy said the State Government had decided to hand over the case to the CBI within hours of getting the NHRC report because it did not have any thing to hide. He rebutted the view that the NHRC had taken the State Government to task on the Muthanga incidents. He said the Commission had merely expressed its dissatisfaction that only the report of district officials had been submitted to the NHRC and that an independent inquiry, preferably by the CBI, was called for.

He said that the inquiry would bring out the truth and it should be viewed in the context of the conflicting reports about the death toll and the number of persons missing. "The CBI probe will bring out the entire foul play in the Muthanga issue,'' he asserted.

Mr. Chandy deplored the police attacks on media persons and added that the Government would take strong action against those responsible for the attacks. "The UDF is of the view that media persons should have full freedom to perform their duties. We understand that some incidents took place which was against this accepted norms. The UDF has recommended strong action against erring officials and wanted the Government to give clear-cut instructions to the police to prevent such events in future,'' he said.

In reply to a question, Mr Chandy said a CBI inquiry would be more effective, as it would be quick and decisive. A judicial probe would take at least three years to come. He accused the CPI(M) of double standards while dealing with the Adivasi land distribution issue. On the one hand, the LDF took the leadership in mobilising the tribals in the State capital as part of their agitation. On the other, the CPI(M)'s trade union wing, the CITU, had filed a case in the High Court challenging redistribution of the Alacode estate under the Plantation Corporation to the Adivasis. Earlier it had objected to the distribution of the Aralam land to the tribals.

This clearly exposed the CPI(M)'s double standards, he said. The UDF would install a separate mechanism to expedite the distribution of land to the landless tribals, he added.

The Chief Minister would lead the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. fast before the War memorial at Palayam in the State Capital. Following this, he would inaugurate the UDF campaign wagon against the violence perpetrated by the LDF and its bid to sabotage the State's development.

The campaign wagon would be led by Mr. Chandy himself. He would have the company of the KPCC vice-presidents, P. P. Thankachan and M. I. Shanavaz, Mr. Benny Behanan (Congress), E. T. Mohammed Basheer and K. N. A. Khader (IUML), Joseph M. Puthussery and Joy Abraham (KC-M), Rajan Babu and T. V. Narayanji (JSS), Johnny Nellore and Mathew Stephen (KC-Jacob), K. G. Ganesh Kumar and K. G. Kuttan Nair (KC-B), K. P. Sankaradas (RSP-B) and C. P. John (CMP).

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