K M Mani row haunts M M Hassan in UDF meet
The leaders said they were not against Mr Mani but only against inviting him again and again after he had refused the call.
Thiruvananthapuram: The UDF allies on Friday lashed out at KPCC interim president M.M. Hassan for inviting Kerala Congress led by K.M. Mani to the front without holding discussions at the liaison committee. The issue was raised at the meeting by Janata Dal (United) leaders who said that Mr Hassan should not have made such a statement at a time when the UDF was in a better position after the Malappuram Lok Sabha by-election. All the UDF constituents except CMP were against inviting Mr Mani. From the Congress, Mr K. Muraleedharan was the sole leader who supported Mr Hassan. The leaders said they were not against Mr Mani but only against inviting him again and again after he had refused the call.
The meeting, however, said Mr Mani can return to the UDF any time after clarifying his political stand. The meeting also decided to include Forward Bloc as a special invitee to the UDF. The front will stay away from the 60th anniversary celebrations of the EMS government. Briefing reporters, UDF convenor P.P. Thakachan said that the way in which the demolition of the cross on the encroached land at Pappathichola was conducted was immoral. The UDF was not against demolishing encroachments. However, the actions should not hurt the feelings of the believers. He also said that he did not believe that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was unaware of the demolition.
Mr Thankachan said that the UDF will highlight the "miserable performance" of the Pinarayi Vijayan government during the last one year by holding meetings across the state. “The campaign during the Assembly elections was that the LDF will come to power and set everything right. However, by one year , the government has proved to be a failure. Meetings will be organised in all the 140 Assembly seats to highlight its failure," said Mr Thankachan. The UDF will hold meetings on May 25-- the day when the government was sworn in last year. Prominent persons from the socio-cultural sphere will be invited to speak, Mr Thankachan said.