Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) national secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty, MP, on Wednesday urged the State government not to stand on false pride and instead adopt all possible corrective measures to address the concerns of anti-GAIL pipeline protesters.
Opening a protest convention organised by the Muslim Youth League at Mukkom, he alleged that the government was following “Sir CP’s model of governance” with its fervour to suppress people’s agitation through forceful means and labelling all the protesters as terrorists. Such an approach would definitely face the consequence when the people exercise their powers using the ballot, he said.
Mr. Kunhalikutty pointed out that the residents in the area were fighting for winning their legitimate demands. The issue could have been amicably settled by considering some possible changes in the existing pipeline alignment and excluding the thickly populated locations from the project area, he said.
The IUML leader claimed that GAIL pipeline works had been stopped in several locations during the tenure of the United Democratic Front government as the government was then very much sympathetic towards the public’s concerns. Public issues should be dealt with patience for the success of any venture and one such project was the Kochi metro, he pointed out.
Mr. Kunhalikutty also made it clear that the public agitation against the pipeline project would be continued in the district until the government changed its stance in favour of the people. “With the change in an existing alignment, only the GAIL may face some financial loss and the State government need not have to worry about that,” he said.
