Kerala Congress chairman K M Mani has alleged that the CPI(M) was trying to vitiate the political scene by communalising issues.
Speaking to media persons after a meeting of the party leaders on the occasion of the 47th birth anniversary of Kerala Congress here on Saturday, Mr Mani alleged that the recent reported statements by CPI(M) leadership targeting the catholic church was made with ulterior motives.
According to him, making comments on the issues involving the interests of the people was a fundamental right and as such any opinion made by the leaders of the religious and community based organizations was within their privilege as part of the democratic polity, he said. Raising an accusing finger against the leaders of one particular community was politically motivated, he said.
The statement from CPI(M) secretary Pinarayi Vijayan to the effect that leaders of the community based organizations and church should not interfere in political process was meaningless. Everyone has the right to interfere against the fall in the value systems of the political process, he said
“ Such moves from the CPI (M) leadership points to the defeatism that has overwhelmed the party leaders”, Mr Mani alleged.
Referring to the issue of ‘friendly contests’ in many of the wards between the KC(M) and coalition partner Congress (I), Mr Mani said the UDf had succeeded in brining about unity in most of the place.
“By and large, we have ensured unity. However there are exceptions to this unity in some of the wards in some of the grama panchayts,” Mr Mani said.
Mr Mani said the Kerala Congress during its 46 years of existence had functioned as a corrective force in ensuring true federalism and upholding regional interest of the State. “The immediate issue before the party was to put the administrative process in Kerala back on rails,” and defeat the Left coalition, he said.
C F Thomas MLA, Francis George and others were also present at the press conference.
