THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ridiculing Congress’ electoral strategist Sunil Kanugolu’s prediction of a comfortable win for the UDF in the assembly election, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said LDF’s Kanugolu are the people themselves.
“People formulate their opinion not on the basis of propaganda, but on their experience. The LDF has its own reason for confidence to face the election. In the assembly election, people cast votes after analysing their experience in 10 years and comparing that with the earlier government,” he said.
Justifying senior CPM leader A K Balan’s statement that UDF would hand over the Home portfolio to Jamaat-e-Islami if it came to power, Pinarayi said the CPM leader might have given a reminder that in contrast to the peaceful situation in the state now, there was a period of communal tension.
Pinarayi also said after the Marad killings (in 2003), Congress veteran and then CM A K Antony did not take P K Kunhalikutty with him to visit the riot-hit areas on RSS’ instructions.
“As the CPM state secretary, I visited the place in my own capacity whereas the CM visited after taking permission from the RSS. This shows how UDF approaches communalism. Though such forces are still here, they are not active, thanks to the strict stand taken by the LDF government. The opposition to RSS, Jamaat-e-Islami and SDPI does not mean we oppose Hindus and Muslims,” he said.
The CM also criticised the UDF leadership for allegedly changing their stand to derive political gain out of communalism.
“After returning from the Simla Congress meet, the then CM Antony accused the state’s minorities of being organised and bargaining with the government for more advantage. He declared his decision to resign from the post after issuing this statement,” he said.
He also trained his guns on CWC member Ramesh Chennithala, and said the former KPCC president, who once called for a limit in making relations with social organisations and communal forces, is now at the forefront for an understanding with Jamaat.
He also said Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan had once criticised a fifth cabinet berth for the League in the earlier UDF government. On Satheesan challenging the government to recommend a CBI inquiry against him in the Punarjani case, the CM said the government is examining the matter. “Unlike some who recommend cases for CBI inquiry, we do not have that habit,” he said.