Aranmula airport: BJP plans agitation

Says support of Left parties will be sought

No power will be able to execute the private airport project at Aranmula, overlooking the people’s opposition, V. Muraleedharan, BJP State president, has said.

Mr. Muraleedharan, accompanied by A.G. Unnikrishnan, party State unit secretary, was talking to reporters at Sabarimala on Wednesday.

The party would continue the agitation against the airport project in a democratic way by including all sections of the people irrespective of political affiliations, he said.

The party’s agitation would also see the support and participation of senior Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran, a staunch opponent of the project, the Communist Party of India, Marxist [CPI-M], the Communist Party of India (CPI), and other Left parties, he said.

Mr. Muraleedharan said the BJP did not have any problems in joining hands with the CPI(M) and other Left parties to oppose an ‘anti-people project’ like the one at Aranmula.

He said statements made by the KGS group did not have any value or credibility. The authorities had to retreat from implementing the controversial Silent Valley project following stiff opposition by the people. The view of KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala on the proposed Aranmula airport would be clear once the popular agitation was intensified, he said.

He said BJP would also launch a legal battle against the project besides extending full support to the ongoing agitation of the Aranmula Heritage Village Action Council.

Mr. Muraleedharan said he too had taken part in the agitation led by V.S. Achuthanandan and other senior leaders against the airport project under the patronage of poet and social activist Sugathakumari.