The blockade of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) around the Chief Minister’s official residence from Monday will not be a “symbolic blockade,” front convener Vaikom Viswan has said.
At a press conference here on Saturday, he corrected the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] district secretary Kadakampally Surendran’s statement, issued on Friday, that the blockade would be a symbolic one.
“The use of the word symbolic was wrong,” Mr. Viswan said. “It is symbolic to the extent that it is against Oommen Chandy as Chief Minister…”
He said the blockade would signify the second stage of LDF’s agitation for the resignation of Mr. Chandy as Chief Minister to face a judicial inquiry, by a sitting judge of the High Court, into his office’s involvement in the solar scam. The LDF had ended its massive blockade of the Secretariat earlier to press this demand when the government announced its decision to conduct a judicial probe, but later developments had exposed Mr. Chandy’s unwillingness to honour the promise, Mr. Viswan said.
He said LDF volunteers from Assembly constituencies would daily carry forward the agitation blocking the Chief Minister’s official residence. It would be a peaceful blockade and would exempt Mr. Chandy’s family members and other Ministers.
Several Ministers were having their official residence in the same compound housing the Cliff House, the Chief Minister’s official residence. Only Mr. Chandy would be obstructed, Mr. Viswan said.
