THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: V. T. Balram MLA has toned down his stand on the AKG issue and said that he has no plan to prolong the controversy. Though he will not apologise for his Facebook comments against AKG, he said, "I should not have been goaded into making those controversial comments as I had merely retaliated at a statement." He said in a television interview that he will not bow down to the threats unleashed by the CPM supporters. He lamented that the continued stand of the CPM on the issue was unwarranted.
"I request the CPM leadership to take the lead in ending the confrontation," said Mr Balram. The Thirthala MLA who has several lakh followers on his Facebook page added that he had decided to appeal to the CPM keeping in mind the emotions of his party workers. "I have no intention of repeating those controversial comments against AKG. I hope that the controversy will come to an end," he added. He had stirred up the controversy by stating in his post that AKG was a paedophile who fell in love with his second wife Susheela while she was 12 years old. This was in response to the comment made by a Facebook user who had referred to the alleged sexual harassment of Saritha Nair by Congress leaders. The CPM supporters retaliated by destroying his MLA office at Thrithala and also manhandling him at a function later.
