THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Determined to punch hard at the Vizhinjam anti-port agitators, the Left government is going hammer and tongs at the ‘terrorist’ jibe by agitation committee convener Fr Theodacious D’ Cruz against Fisheries Minister V Abdurahiman. With the agitation committee on the backfoot over the remark, Left leaders led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan have seized the opportunity to put the protestors on the defensive.
Responding to certain accusations of the minister against the agitators the other day, Fr Theodacious had stated that “there is a terrorist by that name.” Condemning the provocative remark, both the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues have made it clear that they don’t intend to forgive the affront any time soon. The remark has opened up an array of political possibilities for the LDF government and the CPM which were reeling under pressure from the judiciary to provide security for the port construction.
Leading the attack from the front, the CM accused the agitators of a “clear ulterior and heinous intention.”Although Fr Theodacious rendered an apology for his statement, Minister Abdurahiman refused to buy it. He said he will not accept the same. “At the seminar, I had only said that no one should oppose the development. I only used the word anti-national and don’t want anyone’s apology. If you have a loose tongue, you may say anything against others and later tender an apology,” he said.
A slew of other ministers including P A Mohamed Riyas and V Sivankutty too came out against the priest’s statement and said that an apology would not be acceptable. “What is wrong with the name Abdurahiman,” asked Riyas. Statements by the CM and ministers are a clear indication that the government and the CPM would use this as an opportunity to isolate the agitators and the Latin Archdiocese.