The United Democratic Front (UDF) has called for the immediate arrest of T.V. Rajesh, MLA, and P. Jayarajan, district secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] in Kannur, lest they will try to destroy evidence or intimidate witnesses in the Abdul Shukoor murder case in which the Central Bureau of Investigation had arraigned the two leaders as prime suspects.
At a press conference here on Tuesday, UDF convener Benny Behanan slammed the CPI(M) for defending the leaders. The CBI had charged them with conspiracy and murder in the show trial and shocking public execution of the Muslim Student Federation (MSF) activist in a paddy field in Kannur on February 20, 2012. Mr. Behanan recalled that the same CPI(M) had prevented CMP leader and their arch rival in Kannur M.V. Raghavan from entering the Assembly after the police named him as accused in the Koothuparamba police firing case in 1994.
He said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) had no moral right to splurge scarce public funds to celebrate its 1,000th day in power. The economy was in a shambles. Governance had come to a standstill. The LDF could not rebuild Kerala following last year’s floods. The State was yet to compensate people who had lost their dwellings, livelihood, crops and livestock in the monsoon havoc.
The post-Ockhi coastal rehabilitation was yet to take off. The LDF had scuttled many health and social welfare schemes, including free ration, implemented by the previous Oommen Chandy government. A sense of insecurity prevailed in the bureaucracy. Officials were fearful to discharge their duties honestly due to excessive political interference. Charges of corruption, nepotism and back-door appointments plagued the government, he alleged.
The UDF would observe February 19 as protest day to highlight the broken promises and abject failure of the LDF government on all fronts. It would hold meetings across the State to inform the electorate about the failings of the LDF.
Seat-sharing talks
He said the UDF discussions on seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections would conclude on February 18. He claimed there was no bitterness among coalition partners regarding sharing of seats. He said the UDF would further consolidate its political sway by possibly including more parties after the Lok Sabha elections.
