Jan Chetna Yatra in Kerala today

The anti-corruption Jan Chetna Yatra led by senior BJP leader LK Advani will enter Kerala on Friday evening through Aryankavu on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border. During the Yatra in Kerala, Advani will address public meetings at six places including Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi.

From Aryankavu, the Yatra will proceed through Madathara, Palode, Nedumangad, Pangode and Palayam in Thiruvananthapuram district to reach the Putharikkandam Grounds in the capital where Advani will address his first public meeting in the State at about 7.30 pm Friday. The other places where meetings will be held are Kottarakkara, Pandalam, Kottayam and Cherthala.

State BJP president V Muraleedharan told newsmen in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday that the Yatra would be given a grand reception at Aryankavu at about 5.00 pm Friday. State leaders including former State BJP chiefs PS Sreedharan Pillai, PK Krishnadas, CK Padmanabhan and former Union Minister O Rajagopal would be present at Aryankavu to welcome Advani.

As per the plan, Advani would spend Friday night at Mascot Hotel in Thiruvananthapuram, where he would address a press conference on Saturday morning. The Yatra would proceed to Kochi touching Kottarakara, Pandalam, Kottayam and Cherthala after that. Advani is being accompanied by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Ananth Kumar and Muralidhar Rao among others.

The senior BJP leader would fly out from Kochi to Mangalore on Sunday morning while the vehicles accompanying him would leave for Mangalore on Saturday itself. During his Yatra in Kerala, Advani would raise various corruption issues in which both the LDF and UDF leaders from the State were involved, BJP leaders said.

Muraleedharan said that the Yatra would focus on the “partnership” between the ruling and Opposition fronts in corruption. Both fronts were afraid of enquiries into corruption charges. He said the allegations of corruption in the pollution control plant at Travancore Titanium Products which caused a loss of Rs 130 crore to the Exchequer was its latest instance.

The LDF, which had opposed CBI enquiry while in power, was now demanding it, he alleged, adding that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy refused to oblige for fear of exposure. Muraleedharan said that the CPI(M) was not keen on exposing the deals behind the Brahmos Aerospace project in Thiruvananthapuram.

The investigation into the allegations of corruption in public sector Malabar Cements Limited had been effectively paralyzed by removing the investigating officer and appointing none in his place, Muraleedharan said. He added that reports that Advani would skip his tour of Bangalore were incorrect.