Congress, UDF draw up agitation plan against government

They cite price rise, collapse of farm sector, police atrocities and silence on allegations levelled by Swapna Suresh

 

The Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF) led by it are on the warpath against price rise, collapse of the agriculture sector, police atrocities, and non-registration of FIRs against some former Ministers and former Assembly Speaker following the “shameful” allegations levelled against them by Swapna Suresh, an accused in the diplomatic gold smuggling case.  

The UDF will kick off a campaign against the threat posed by narcotic drugs in Ernakulam on Tuesday. Marches will be taken out to the State Secretariat and district collectorates on November 3 against maladministration and misgovernance. Workers of employment guarantee schemes will be mobilised by the UDF for a Raj Bhavan march on November 8. A siege will be laid to the secretariat in the third phase of the agitations and simultaneously, all front organisations of the UDF and the Congress will mobilise people against the government.

The Opposition is of the view that the government is non-functional, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan told the media here on Monday.  

Mr. Satheesan said the government was not willing to intervene and regulate the price of rice even after it reached ₹65 per kg. Concurrent with the increase in price of rice, prices of some 13 essential commodities and those of vegetables shot up. For a month, the Minister concerned had been saying that rice would be brought from Andhra Pradesh, he said, accusing the Chief Minister of inaction in this regard.

He alleged a spike in police atrocities and maladministration by the police in the State. While the police remained ineffective, the party cadres were having a field day at their expense. Mr. Satheesan also flayed the government for keeping mum in the wake of gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh “levelling allegations with evidence” against some Ministers and the Speaker in the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government that took office in 2016.

While cases had been launched against many, including former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, after procuring a written statement from the solar case accused, why was the government not keen to launch investigation against those named by Ms. Suresh, he asked.