THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition UDF cashed in on the conspicuous absence of Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan at the all-party conference on Munnar issues convened by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday, with Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala presenting here the bickering in the ruling front in all its intensity and asserting the LDF Government has lost its collective responsibility.
It was echoed in detail across the state at the protest dharnas held in front of the district collectorates.
The protest was organised to coincide with the implementation of the new liquor policy of the LDF Government and highlight the lapses and anti-people stance of the government on various other issues.
Inaugurating the protest meeting of the UDF in front of the secretariat, Ramesh said ministers are turning their back against the Chief Minister and Pinarayi Vijayan is not willing to hear his Cabinet colleagues. “Never in the history of the state a Revenue Minister had abstained from a meet convened by a Chief Minister. Is there one voice? Is there a collectivity in the Cabinet and government? ”he asked.
“The government is a total failure on all fronts. It is gifting only hardships to all sections of society except liquor barons, who have been given full freedom,” Ramesh said.
He said the Chief Minister and CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran are at loggerheads on each and every issue. “They were united only in the liquor policy, thereby exposing the unholy nexus of the LDF with the liquor lobby and the conspiracy hatched during the eve of Assembly polls to fell the former UDF Government. Big corruption is behind the new liquor policy,” he said.
“Welfare pension of four lakh beneficiaries has been curtailed. In all, 15 lakh ration card holders are waiting to get their document. By favouring the rich and managements, poor and meritorious students have been eliminated by the government from the self-financing medical education stream,” he said.
“The government remains unmoved even after not less than 250 persons afflicted with various types of fever have died. The state has never seen such an irresponsible Health Minister who says everything is under control and there is no need for a Central medical team to investigate the fever bout, even as ten people died out of fever on Friday alone,” Ramesh said. .
Ramesh Chennithala criticised the Chief Minister for his interference and comments in the actor assault probe.
“The moment Pinarayi Vijayan stated there was no conspiracy in the actor assault case,the police probe lost its drive and direction. Will any cop go against the comment made by him, who is holding charge of the Home portfolio ? Pinarayi is accused number one in derailing the actor assault case probe,” the Opposition leader said.