Thiruvananthapuram: Former union finance minister P. Chidambaram has said that the country was in the grip of fear now.
“There has never been a period in India like the last four years when the people lived in such fear. The dalits, minorities, children and small farmers are in fear. We have to end this era of fear if the country has to progress,” said Mr Chidambaram.
He was addressing the concluding function of the Jana Mochana Yatra led by KPCC president M.M. Hassan held at Gandhi Park Maidan here on Wednesday.
Mr Chidambaram said that the central government was curbing the powers of the state governments and discriminating against southern states like Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh in the sanctioning of funds.
He also targeted the LDF government saying political violence occurred in the state every day. This increase in the number of political violence had brought a bad name to the state, he said.
The yatra which began at Kasargod on April 7 passed through 14 districts covering 20 parliamentary constituencies and over 60 Assembly constituencies.
Mr Hassan, former chief minister Oommen Chandy, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala and other leaders took part in the function.
