Congress to protest against LDF Govt on Mar 22

Kochi, Mar 11: The Congress will mount a state-wide protest against the ''anti-people'' Left Democratic Front government in Kerala on March 22, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala said today.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Chennithala said that Congress activists, led by Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy, will sit on a 'dharna' outside the Secretariat at Thiruvananthapuram on March 22.

Similar 'dharnas', led by prominent Congress leaders, would be staged outside the collectorates at all 14 district headquarters in the state.

Claiming that people were smarting under the LDF ''misrule'', Mr Chennithala said prices of essential commodities were soaring as was the crime rate. ''Murders and highway robberies have become the order of the day. Police is unable to check the mafia-goonda gangs,'' he said.

Suicides by farmers were continuing as the LDF had failed to put in place a proper package to address their problems.

Criticising the LDF Government's first budget, presented this week, Mr Chennithala said it did not contain any new programmes or policies for Kerala's economic development. Unlike other states, which were going all out to attract private and foreign investment, the budget had not come up with any concrete measures in this regard.

Criticising the government's decision to open 1,068 more toddy shops in the state, Mr Chennithala said this would only result in making Kerala into an alcoholics' paradise. While the Left front had in its manifesto promised to gradually introduce prohibition, it had done exactly the opposite after coming to power.

Also, the government's decision to hand over the running of these toddy shops to cooperative societies indicated that these were going to be a front to raise money for the Left front.

On the government's decision to go in for an ADB loan, Mr Chennithala said the LDF had accepted the ADB loan without making any changes in the conditions. While in opposition, it had protested tooth and nail against the same loan.

UNI