Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president V.M. Sudheeran has accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of adopting contradictory stands while preaching social reformer Sree Narayana Guru’s ideologies.
Addressing a press-conference here on Wednesday, Mr Sudheeran said that
while the LDF was actively engaged in campaigning Guru’s casteless society, on the other side it was taking diametrically opposite stand
by covertly trying to belittle the social reformer’s ideologies by tacitly trying to increase liquor consumption in the State.
Stating that the liquor policy adopted by the previous UDF government had brought about qualitative change in society by paving way for social and family security and reduction in alcohol induced road accidents, he said the LDF government was now bend on scuttling the UDF government’s liquor policy in the guise of promoting tourism.
He called for a referendum to assess the pulse of the cross-section of society, including women, before opting to implement a new liquor policy.
The recent remarks by a few members of the LDF Cabinet made it amply clear that the government was moving forward as per the tacit understanding arrived at with vested interests and it should be seen as a “test dose” to eventually succumb to the interests of the liquor lobby, he alleged.
The purported letter by the BEVCO managing director to increase liquor sale by supplying cheaper Indian made foreign liquor during Onam gave credence to the apprehension of the moves by the LDF government to scuttle the UDF government’s liquor policy, he said.
Mr. Sudheeran was here to address the party sponsored Sree Narayana Guru death anniversary procession at Kanhangad on Wednesday.
Rail accidents
Expressing concern over derailment of goods wagons near Karunagapally in Kollam, the KPCC president said the State could be prone to such accidents in the light of poor track maintenance and urged the government to send a delegation of MP’s from the State to New Delhi to address the issue.
To a query, Mr. Sudheeran said the UDF had not set any agenda to hold conciliatory talks with Kerala Congress (M) leader K.M. Mani, who had recently deserted the UDF camp blaming a section of Congress leaders for hatching conspiracy against him in the bar bribery issue.
He parried a question on the Vigilance raid held against former Excise Minister K. Babu saying that it would be wiser if the matter was deliberated at the party forum.
