Defending the Centre’s decision to hold talks with the agitators against the National Highway bypass at Keezhattur, P.S. Sreedharan Pillai, the newly elected BJP State president, has said that the party had supported the agitation when the CPI(M) took a negative stance towards the people’s struggle.
Speaking to reporters after a reception accorded to him here on Tuesday on his first visit to the district after he took charge, Mr. Pillai said that it was naïve to say that the State government should act as a mediator when the Central government that executes the NH development project received a complaint.
Justifying the Centre’s decision to hold talks with the agitators of Keezhattur, he said that the BJP had not started the agitation.
The BJP leader also justified the Minister of Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari’s decision to send an expert team to study the alignment issue at Keezhattur.
“There is nothing wrong in sending an expert team and there are no legal issues involved,” Mr. Pillai said adding that it was wrong to say that an alignment could not be altered once the final notification was issued.
In fact, the alignment could be changed even after the acquisition was over, he added.
The BJP State president also said that the Keezhattur agitation challenged the CPIM)’s concept of ‘party village’.
NDA to be strengthened
Mr. Pillai said that National Democratic Alliance (NDA) would be strengthened in the State as an alternative to the CPI(M).
The BJP’s door was open to everybody, he said adding that the aim was to strengthen the NDA by bringing together everyone, including those who were side-lined in the Congress.
He accused the Left Democratic Front government of instigating violence here. He also said that the practice of accusing the Centre would be against the development interests of the State.
The BJP leader later paid tributes at the memorial of late party leader K.G. Marar at Payyambalam here.
