Thiruvananthapuram: An action council of residents opposed to land acquisition for airport development challenged district collector Biju Prabhakar to prove his allegations of land mafia. "The action council will be dispersed the moment he does. We also challenge him to quit his job if he could not," its chairman Saifuddin Haji said while addressing residents at Vallakadavu.
Cutting across party lines, nearly 500 people gathered at the Janakeeya Prathisheda Koottayma organised by the resistance group. Mr Prabhakar came under sharp criticism for his statement that the protesters were not real owners but land mafia. Community leaders and local politicians even alleged that the 'keen interest' of Mr Prabhakar was dubious. They alleged vested interests were trying to influence him.
Vicar general of Thiruvananthapuram Archdiocese Eugene H. Pereira who inaugurated the protest said it was unfortunate that a person seemed to have an open mind was framing people protecting their homes as land mafia. Chakkai ward councillor K Sreekumar of the CPM said vested interest lobbies were misleading the government by maintaining that only 60 families were residing on the 18.53 acres identified for acquisition, whereas the actual number is manifold.
KPCC secretary T. Sarath Chandra Prasad, Vallakadavu councillor Shajitha Nazar and residents' representatives spoke. They demanded to respect the then Chief Minister E. K. Nayanar's assurance in 2,000 that no more land would be acquired for expansion.
