BJP demands PK Rajendran’s resignation

Pioneer News Service | Kollam

State BJP president PK Krishnadas has demanded the resignation of Revenue Minister PK Rajendran, who had openly criticised the official team designated by the State Cabinet, of which he is a member, for eviction of encroachers in Munnar.

The Minister’s action amounted to an expression of lack of confidence in the Cabinet and the Chief Minister, Krishnadas said. Propriety demanded that he express his opposition inside the Cabinet and not in the public, he pointed out. Hence, considering the moral responsibility Rajendran had for committing such an improper action, he should resign from the Ministry immediately, the BJP leader told the media after the State-wide Janayathra that he was leading reached here on Wednesday.

He also asked Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan to air his opinion on the issue. He also asked VS to implement the Adivasi Land Protection Act of 1975.

The Revenue Minister was obviously provoked by the action of the special official team against the CPI office in Munnar, Krishnadas alleged. The CPI had possessed the land illegally and had constructed a multi-storey party office and given it on rent, he said. “The party has earned lakhs of rupees from the building. The irony is that the Revenue Minister himself has come out to prevent eviction,” Krishnadas said.

He alleged that the CPI(M) faction led by State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Congress J and the CPI were trying to create problems in the eviction process in Munnar. He also demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the modus operandi of the mafia behind the encroachment.

“Illegal encroachments have been rampant in Kerala whether it was land or lakes. The Vembanad lake, Kummarakom lands and Wayanad forests all have been encroached by the mafia. All these encroachments should be evicted on the lines of the action in Munnar,” he said.

BJP would organise a people’s march in Munnar on May 31 to draw attention to the rampant encroachment of public land taking place all over the State.

Krishnadas demanded an apology from film actor Mammootty for his controversial remarks on the Gujarat issue at the national meet of the DYFI at Chennai recently. The BJP respected the personal freedom of every citizen to believe in any political party, but an artist like Mammootty was the asset of a society as a whole irrespective of caste, party and other differences, he said.

BJP State General secretary MT Ramesh, State secretary Malini Sankaramangalam and Mahila Morcha State president Radhamma Thankachi also participated in the programme.

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