THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government was only adamant about not stopping construction of the Vizhinjam international port project and has not slacked finding a solution for the issues raised, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. He was responding to the adjournment motion raised by Kovalam MLA M Vincent in the assembly on Tuesday.
Hours before the government arrived at a consensus with the agitators, Pinarayi said the government has accepted five major demands put forth by the protestors. He also alleged involvement of external forces behind the people leading the protest. Defending and justifying the police action, Pinarayi raised suspicion that it was a planned attack on the police station. The attack on the police was just one part of a series of violence.
He pointed out that there was false propaganda that central forces would be deployed to suppress the protest. He also reminded the Opposition that ensuring security for the construction as and when demanded by the concessionaire, was one of the clauses in the agreement signed by the then UDF government.
He also countered the Opposition’s charge that the government did not spend any money from the rehabilitation package announced by the previous UDF government. Earlier raised the issue through an adjournment motion, the Opposition UDF also supported the completion of the project and finding an amicable solution to the issues raised by fishermen.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan launched an attack against the government for dragging its feet on the issue despite the Opposition taking it up even before the protest had started. He alleged that the government played its part in worsening the situation in order to enable the deployment of central forces as demanded by Adani Group. He also blamed the government for registering a case against the archbishop. IUML leader PK Kunhalikutty blamed the government for taking the protest this far. According to him the government should take the fishermen into confidence considering the importance of the project.
“I welcome the news that the Vizhinjam crisis is over. My congratulations and thanks to the leaders of the Latin Catholic Church, especially Archbishop Netto, for their magnanimity and willingness to compromise in the interests of peace & harmony and the development of the state. Let us now strive to address the genuine demands of the fishing community, subsisting in dire straits on the Kerala coast, ensuring relief and rehabilitation for those displaced by sea inundations & strong measures to protect them against coastal erosion and extreme weather.”
— Shashi Tharoor