Not right to drag Antony's name: Kerala home minister

Kochi, Oct 7: With the clamour from a section of the Congress in

seeking Defence Minister A K Antony's intervention to resolve infighting in the state unit, gaining momentum, Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan on Monday felt it was not right to drag the name of the senior congress leader.

"Why do you want to drag A K Antony's name in this controversy?," Radhakrishnan asked at a meet-the-press programme, organised by Ernakulam Press club here, when his response was sought to the pleas of Union minister of state for Home Mullapally Ramachandran and K Muraleedharan, MLA.

"Do not drag him into the controversy. He is aware of all political issues in the state," Radhakrishnan said. Government chief whip, P C George had fired the first salvo demanding Antony's intervention to sort out the infighting in the Congress.

The minister said the party had the responsibility to defend him from the accusations being made by P C George, adding, it was the Congress-led United Democratic Front whom George was targeting and not him. Describing George as 'broken ball', he said brickbats are an inevitable part of Home Ministry and even a person of Antony stature was not spared as Home Minister, he said.

Radhakrishnan: Anthony is aware of all political issues

Justifying the recent vigilance raid at 26 'Consumer fed' offices in the state, the minister said the Home minister has to tread the path of justice and cannot take sides. After he took charge, raids had been conducted in the Tourism department, PWD Rest houses, Motor vehicle department and even in Police department, which was 'natural', he said.

Even the concerned minister is not informed during a raid. The action should be transparent. "If we inform everyone and conduct a raid, then will we have the confidence of the people?," he asked.

The government has decided not to conduct vigilance probe on the basis of anonymous letters, he said. On Maoist presence in Kerala, he said 31 police stations have been identified where their presence is believed to be there. These areas were under surveillance, he said.

PTI