Too wide for comfort
The Indian Union Muslim League strongman P.K. Kunhalikutty, facing charges of shielding CPM leader and former minister Elamaram Kareem in the mining scam, is also being blamed for the party making a volte-face in the NH expansion issue.
The bulldozing ways of Kunhalikutty had led the party to drop the demand to restrict the width of the NH to 30 metres, say insiders who had strongly opposed the 45-metre width backed by Kunhalikutty.
According to them the person who lost his face on this issue is none other than IUML state president and the spiritual head of the party Panakkad Hyderali Shihab Thangal.
Thangal had promised to the victims of land acquisition that he will prevail upon the leadership to find an amicable way out for the NH imbroglio.
Insiders say that the League will have to pay a heavy price for the brazenness with which it had opted for the 45-metre solution, especially because the strongest resistance against land acquisition is taking place at Malappuram the stronghold of the party.
Strange company
It is normal for the slanging match at the council meeting of the Kochi Corporation Council to go out of control. But last Saturday, a comment by an opposition councilor almost acquired the ugly edge of a lewd innuendo.
The councilor, while ridiculing the ruling front’s agitation against the KSRTC’s move to divert JNNURM low-floor buses to inter-district routes, referred to the unique manner of protest launched by Mayor Chammany and his deputy Bhadra at the KSRTC bus stand.
Mayor Tony Chammany
The Mayor, Deputy Mayor and councilors had spread mats and sat together in protest.
This is how the councilor taunted Chammany and Bhadra: “Didn’t you two spread your mats at the bus stand? But to what use?”
An apparently upset Mayor shot back: “Don’t speak nonsense. Be careful about your words. You don’t know the meaning your words can assume.”
Chammany even asked the deputy mayor Bhadra to protest against the defamatory remarks. Not the one to be emotionally cajoled, the councilor shot back: “If you felt bad about my remarks it is only because you have a dirty mind. I only meant that nothing could be achieved in spite of your combined efforts.”
Karat proposes, Jayarajan disposes
Often looks are deceptive. But in the case of CPM’s Kannur strongman E.P. Jayarajan, one of the Jayarajan troika, his looks and gait reveal his thinking. This was in full view when he blasted reporters for asking him inconvenient questions about party newspaper Deshabhimani, carrying an ad hailing the party plenum from businessman and murder accused V.M. Radhakrishnan.
Jayarajan found nothing wrong or politically inappropriate in the party taking money from a dubious source when one of the slogans at the party plenum was to shun mafia. But, as usual, Jayarajan blamed the media for bringing infamy to the party through gross exaggeration of the minor funds issue.
E.P. Jayarajan
But he proved again that he cares a hoot for the leadership or party principles. He may not even see any merit in party general secretary Prakash Karat’s advice to party leaders and workers to be humble servants of the people.
But Jayarajans don’t believe in this. Arrogance, that’s a virtue for Jayarajan and company in Kannur.
They think offence is the best form of defence. The suave Karat, who had the fortune to be catapulted from the Delhi campus to the party centre, is perhaps innocent of the Kannur brand of politics, which is to breathe fire and brimstone, ride roughshod on rivals and annex new territories. But they know not that the ground slips under their feet.
Siamese twins
Are Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty and former Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem Siamese twins?
This was the question asked by many after the Chakkittapara mining issue came into the limelight. The posers became especially shrill after the over enthusiasm demonstrated by Kunhalikutty to stall any attempt to proceed against Kareem at this stage.
Even Chief Minister Oommen Chandy appeared to be helpless before Kunhalikutty’s stubborn resolve to insulate Kareem from all the charges swirling around him.
Elamaram Kareem
The charge was that Kareem, while he was industry minister, was instrumental in granting permission to MSPL Ltd, a Karnataka-based company, for mining of iron ore at Chakkittapara in Kozhikode district. Kunhali-kutty said that an inquiry could not be announced merely on the basis of an allegation raised by someone.
The episode has offered KPCC chief Ramesh Chennithala, who is still smarting from the snub he received from the League in the deputy CM issue, the right opportunity to hit back at Kunhalikutty. Right when the industries minister virtually ruled out a probe, Chennithala called for action against Kareem.
