THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress came down heavily on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, as Nava Kerala Sadas, the government’s public outreach programme, entered its second day on Sunday.
KPCC president K Sudhakaran said Pinarayi had no right to criticise UDF as it was during his tenure as CPM secretary that former CM, the late Oommen Chandy, was injured during pelting of stones in Kannur.
“Not only that, Pinarayi, then CPM secretary, also tried to stop the conduct of the mass contact programme and tried to attack people,” Sudhakaran said. Defending UDF’s boycott of the event, Sudhakaran said the decision was taken as the event will not end the woes of poor people.
“The poor were sitting on puramboke land while the public programme was going on at Manjeshwar. Pinarayi neither found a solution to the people’s problems, nor provided any monetary relief. Chandy settled a total of 94,696 complaints in 2011, 2013 and 2015. He also provided aid of Rs 11.94 crore and stayed in Kasaragod for 47 hours,” said Sudhakaran.
Ridiculing Pinarayi who wore a turban during the event in Kasaragod on Saturday, Sudhakaran said the CM can only travel in luxurious cars and wear headgear. “Pinarayi can never become Oommen Chandy even if he takes 100 rebirths,” he said.
Terming the outreach programme a huge failure, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said it was nothing but an election propaganda programme during which Pinarayi and his ministers wore headdresses similar to what kings wore.
“They only made political speeches. They did not bother to receive people’s complaints or address their concerns. I thought Pinarayi will take a leaf out of Chandy’s mass contact programme. However, people are not able to meet the CM or ministers personally,” he alleged. Chennithala also flayed Pinarayi for entrusting government officials to collect complaints online.
Put CM, ministers in museum: Chennithala
Taking a dig at CPM central secretariat member A K Balan who had said the bus in which Pinarayi and ministers are travelling will be kept in the museum, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said it would be better to put the CM and the ministers in the museum.