THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala has become a darling of the RSS, CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged on Friday. “The RSS does not want the UDF to be controlled by former chief minister Oommen Chandy or IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty. So it has been extending its support to Chennithala instead,” Kodiyeri said at a press conference here.Alleging that Kerala’s Opposition was doing everything the RSS wanted, the senior CPM leader said the Congress and the BJP were working in unison to oppose the LDF government.
“I wonder why the two parties have joined hands in Kerala, even as their counterparts fight each other in other states,” he asked. BJP state president K Surendran’s allegations are being parroted by the Opposition Leader later in the day, he said. In addition, criticising the Opposition parties for violating social distancing norms to conduct anti-government protests, he further stated that even prominent leaders were seen flouting these rules, thereby sending a wrong message to the public.
Speaking on the possibility of another complete lockdown being imposed in the state, Kodiyeri said a decision regarding this would only be taken after considering all practical difficulties involved and incorporating the suggestions that come up at the all-party meeting. “A lockdown may be required if there is a big increase in the number of cases,” he said.He that there was nothing unusual in the scheduled meeting of the ministers’ personal staff.
When asked about the party’s stand on the sensational gold smuggling case, Kodiyeri said neither the government nor the CPM would be affected if M Sivasankar, the ousted private secretary to the chief minister, was arraigned in the case. “The NIA is free to conduct probes anywhere they need to and the state government will extend all necessary support. If Sivasankar is involved in the case, it will be his personal issue,” he said.