Mullappally Ramachandran slams govt, backs DCP

KOCHI: KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran on Monday came heavily down on the manner in which the LDF Government handled the raid of CPM Thiruvananthapuram district committee office by deputy commissioner of police Chaithra Teresa John the other day which led to her removal from the post and transfer back to women's cell.

Mr Ramachandran told mediapersons that if the government tried to steamroll the IPS officer, the Congress party will offer all protection to her. "There is nothing wrong in what Chaithra had done in raiding the CPM office. The State Government is trying to weaken a woman police officer who acted as per law," he said.

Responding to questions Mr. Ramachandran said the UDF had a clear understanding  about the 20 Lok Sabha seats in state. It does not mean that the constituent parties had come to an understanding on seat-sharing. He said that UDF now has a unity which it never had in the past."The issue of women's entry in Sabarimala was politicised by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in order to divert attention from his administrative failures," said Mr. Ramachandran later while inaugurating a symposium on 'Religion, Politics and Belief', organized by the Communist Marxist Party (CMP) as part of its 10th party congress.

"Instead of focusing attention on the post flood rebuilding of the state, Pinarayi Vijayan politicised Sabarimala issue for vote banks.  Superstitious and extreme religious belief will lead only to fundamentalism. The Sabarimala issue is an example for mixing religion with politics. The stand of Congress and UDF on the Sabarimala issue is transparent and it was taken after consultations," he said. K. Sankaranarayanan, former Maharashtra Governor, was the chief guest of the function presided over by C. N. Vijayakrishnan, state assistant secretary, CMP. C. P. John, general secretary, CMP, was also present.