Chandy asks Left to drop secretariat 'siege'

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Saturday asked the Left opposition to withdraw its threatened indefinite "siege" of the secretariat in the wake of the solar scam, contending it has not caused any loss nor has the state provided any sops to the accused company.

Chandy also asked the Left a series of questions about the effect of their agitation.

The Left opposition's indefinite siege is slated to begin on Monday when more than 75,000 Left opposition volunteers will not allow a single person to enter the secretariat which is the seat of the Kerala government.

The Kerala government has requested the services of 22 companies (100-120 men each) of central paramilitary forces that have already started to arrive here and by Saturday evening will be deployed at the secretariat.

In a statement issued here, Chandy asked 13 questions to the Left, noting that the secretariat is the seat of power from where the state is governed and it neither belongs to his party or to the Left opposition, but of the people.

"This proposed siege is to take place when the state is suffering from the monsoon rains that has caused huge destruction to life and property and at a time when the people's burning issues have to be addressed.

"You are laying a siege and through this are you not trying to topple a democratically elected government?" he asked.

"Aren't you adopting a fascist type of protests that are seen at some places in the world where democratically elected governments are toppled by use of force and are you not using strategies normally used by extremists forces to displace elected governments?" was another question he posed to the Left.

Chandy also noted the protest is being led by Communist Party of India-Marxist state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, who has allegedly caused a loss of Rs.374 crore to the state in the SNC Lavalin deal, and is also an accused in the case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

"Not a single allegation raised in the solar scam against me has been proved and this case first surfaced in 2008 when the Left was in power and even 14 cases were registered but nothing happened then.."

"It was only after we assumed office that a special team was appointed and has reached this stage. Why can't you wait till the probe is over and we can sit down and if still issues are there, we can take it up.. why can't you wait a little more?" asked Chandy.

Meanwhile Leader of Opposition V.S.Achuthanandan told reporters that Chandy is behaving worse than Hitler.

"Please don't try to frighten us by parading central forces. We have come this far seeing various oppressive tactics used by administrators. The people are with us and you cannot take us on," he said.