THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress party's high-power Political Affairs Committee has decided to hold protests against the Left government's decision to hand over Halcyon Castle, Kovalam, to the RP group. “More clarity is required on the party’s stand on the issue. It was the UDF government, in 2004, that took it back (after the Vajpayee government sold it to M-Far Hotels a year back),” a PAC member said. It entrusted KPCC president M.M. Hassan, who was a minister when the government took over the summer retreat of the erstwhile Travancore royals, to explain the party's stand.
The young brigade of the KPCC led by Dr Mathew Kuzhalnadan questioned the silence of the leadership, citing the business group's close links to the upper echelons of the ruling CPM. Mr Hassan is most likely to address a press conference on Wednesday. A PAC meeting held here on Tuesday also discussed the arrest of local legislator M. Vincent and decided not to get provoked by the Left government misusing power.
“We are waiting for Mr Vincent to get bail. At this juncture, there should not be any provocation from the party, or else his release will get delayed,” said another PAC member. Since the meeting scheduled for Aug 12 was advanced, a majority of the PAC members, with the Parliament in session and some like V. M. Sudheeran abroad, were absent. The lone woman member Shanimol Usman, who had wanted Mr Vincent to resign after the police arrested him on charges of rape, was conspicuous by her absence.
