Nothing wrong in Liberation Struggle:Chandy

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 16 (UNI) Leader of the Opposition in Kerala Assembly Oommen Chandy today said that there was nothing wrong in the Liberation Struggle ('Vimochana Samaram') against the first Communist Ministry in Kerala.

''What is wrong in the Liberation Struggle? In democracy, people are supreme and it was established years back that Liberation Struggle was not wrong,'' he told newspersons here.

After the Liberation Struggle, the Communists lost the elections and the Congress came to power. This showed that Liberation Struggle was not wrong, Mr Chandy added.

On whether the Congress and the UDF would support a second Liberation Struggle, he said ''it has not been thought of. The Congress and the UDF have always exposed the LDF Government's anti-people policies and we would continue to be with the people.'' Lashing out at CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan for his remarks against social reformer Mannath Padmanabhan, Mr Chandy said the remarks were not suited to a political leader. ''The harsh language used by Mr Vijayan is not suited to democracy. The CPI(M) has been lashing out at those who had raised their voice against the party's misdeeds,'' he said.

Mr Chandy said the CPI(M) was trying to threaten leaders of the social organisation, which was not good for democracy.

In his inaugural address at the the CPI(M) Kollam District Conference, Mr Vijayan had said the disgrace that Mannath Padmanabhan had incurred as the leader of the Liberation Struggle could not be wiped out.

Pointing out that he maintained his stand that the crime rate in the state had increased alarmingly, Mr Chandy asked the Chief Minister and the Home Minister why peace was not being restored in politically volatile Kannur. ''When the UDF was in power, there was no political murders in Kannur. It was because we had taken strong action against the culprits,'' he claimed.

On Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil's statement that Kerala was far better in crime rate, he said the state government might have given false information of the situation in the state to Mr Patil.

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