Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala has accused the CPI (M) -led Left Democratic Front government of trying to reopen bars closed during the previous Congress- led UDF government.
At a meet-the-press programme organised by the Calicut Press Club here on Saturday, he said that the first policy address by Governor P. Sathasivam suggested that the government was hell-bent to revise the liquor policy and deliberately turn the State into a ‘liquor shop.’
“All sections of the society had accepted the liquor policy of the UDF government. Now if the new government decides to revise the liquor policy it would be dangerous. Is reopening bars the LDF’s liquor policy of promoting abstinence as promised in its election manifesto,” he asked.
The Congress leader also likened Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that Mr. Vijayan refused to meet the media or answer their queries, and even failed to make public the Cabinet decisions.
The Chief Minister might have had acquired this habit after he met Mr. Modi in New Delhi. This did not auger well for a democracy, Mr. Chennithala said.
Total control
He alleged that the government was under the total control of the CPI (M) in the State.
It appears that the government functioned only for party men.
This was evident in the callous attitude of the Chief Minister in the issue of the Dalit siblings at Thalassery. Even before the commencement of the new Legislature, an MLA of the CPI (M) had been slapped with a case. CPI (M) workers had carried out attacks in at least 48 places in Kannur district.
Mullaperiyar issue
On the Mullaperiyar issue, Mr. Chennithala said the statement of Mr. Vijayan not only went against the interests of the State but also supported the version of Tamil Nadu.
“We need to have cordial relationship with Tamil Nadu but not at the cost of our safety,” he added.
