THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former KPCC president K. Muraleedharan has criticised the party leadership for not being a creative opposition when the government had failed miserably in handling the fever issue. The legislator was speaking at the combined meeting of office bearers and DCC presidents on Wednesday. Thiruvananthapuram DCC president Neyyattinkara Sanal also joined him in criticising the leadership, alleging that the protests the party had undertaken recently against were ineffective.
The two maintained that there is no point in criticising the new liquor policy. But Kollam DCC president Bindu Krishna argued that the Congress’s policy had always been abstinence. The previous government faced the brunt of the situation. The meeting decided to demand the resignation of health minister K. K. Shailaja for her failure in tackling dengue and fever related issues.
“Shailaja should resign immediately if there is any morality left in her. Unfortunately, none of the decisions taken at the all-party meet is yet to be implemented including on the exorbitant lab rates being charged by the private labs and compensation to the families of those who lost their lives to dengue and other fevers,” said M. M. Hassan, KPCC president, after the meeting. On July 10, the Congress leaders will hold protests at all the collectorates across the state against the liquor policy.
A demonstration is also being planned against the government’s failure in controlling the price of essential goods. At the same time, another protest against the LDF Government’s failure in paying the wages of labourers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act will also be taken up on July 15 in front of all panchayat offices. The meeting also decided to intensify the family meets across the state. They expect to complete them coinciding with the birth centenary celebrations of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by mid of August.
