The joint meeting of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and its various allied organisations on Wednesday rebutted the CPI(M) allegation that the Malappuram byelection witnessed a communal polarisation.
The party was raising such a baseless and politically untenable charge because of its failure to give proper clarifications to various campaign issues raised by the United Democratic Front.
In a resolution, moved by KPCC treasurer Johnson Abraham, the KPCC meeting said the verdict in Malappuram was purely political and all sections of the people, irrespective of minority or majority classification, voted for the UDF. The election served to expose the bogus claim of the CPI(M) that it was the only outfit fighting against communalism and fascism.
The BJP’s setback in the constituency clearly indicated that people hated extreme communal postures. The verdict negated the BJP’s optimism at its Bhubaneswsar conference that it would electorally override Kerala.
Addressing a press conference soon after the meeting, KPCC president M. M. Hassan said CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan’s statement at the fag end of electioneering in Malappuram that Congress leaders were shifting camp to the BJP was nothing but a futile effort at concentrating Kerala politics in the hands of his party and the BJP.
He wanted Cooperation Minister Kadakampally Surendran to apologise for making statements that was an affront to the electors of Malappuram.
The KPCC meeting condemned the State government decision to hike the power tariff. The hike will only lead to further rise in prices. The LDF government had failed on this count as well.
The KPCC resolution also criticised the government for its failure to tackle the increasing number of sexual abuse incidents against women and children. It wanted the State government to file a criminal case against former Minister A. K. Saseendran who had to resign following a phone tape expose. The Chief Minister’s attempt to close the chapter with the Minister’s resignation was unlawful and amounted to denial of justice, the resolution said.
“The LDF government had miserably failed in maintenance of law and order. The move to release hardened convicts before the completion of their prison term would set a bad precedent and undermine the rule of law. We seriously view the move to release these prisoners en masse,” the resolution said.
