PALAKKAD: While the CPM has taken up the ‘trolley bag’ issue as a political opportunity to hit out at the Congress in the crucial days ahead of the bypoll in Palakkad, the leadership seems to be divided over cashing in on the issue and making it a poll plank.
The blue trolley bag became a hot topic of political campaigning after the controversial midnight raid and the subsequent release of its CCTV footage. The CPM and its youth organisations had taken out protests using symbolic trolley bags and sacks to claim that both Congress and the BJP were engaged in illegal money transactions and the bag carried black money.
The differences of opinion among CPM leaders came to the fore on Friday with former MP N N Krishnadas playing down the issue at a public meeting held here.
“The trolley controversy is an unwanted row. It is better not to mislead people with claims about yellow and blue boxes. Parties should focus on issues affecting the public rather than concentrating on distractions,” said Krishnadas. It is for the police to investigate if money was involved in campaigning. It is not the job of parties, he said. He added that he didn’t know why Minister M B Rajesh was still raising the issue.
However, CPM district secretary E N Suresh Babu dismissed the statement of Krishnadas and reiterated that the trolley bag that was carried by Congress leaders contained black money. He also insisted on moving forward with the complaint regarding the issue.
“UDF candidate Rahul Mamkootathil made several inaccurate statements in connection with the trolley bag. Earlier, he said he entered Shafi Parambil’s car to speak to him. But it was later revealed that Shafi was not inside the car. So, Rahul should clarify whether he spoke to Shafi or his staff,” said Suresh Babu. He added that the Press Club is only a few metres away from the KPM Hotel, and questioned why Rahul switched cars similar to scenes in underworld movies.
Meanwhile, CPM-backed LDF independent, P Sarin, who had earlier said that the midnight raid was a drama orchestrated by Shafi Parambil, later changed his stance, saying he shared the district leadership’s views on the issue.