CHENNAI: Political leaders and social activists have demanded in anguish that the State government give up attempts to vacate the tiny houses allotted years ago by the administration to veteran Communist leader R. Nallakannu and the late Congress leader P. Kakkan. If the government needed these two houses for some property development project, they should allot alternate accommodation for Nallakannu as well as the family of late Kakkan, they demanded.
DMK president M.K. Stalin on Saturday condemned the ruling AIADMK government for asking the veteran Communist Party of India (CPI) leader R. Nallakannu to vacate the house where he has been living.
The 94-year-old leader was living on rent in the house allotted to him by the Tamil Nadu Housing Board (TNHB) at T. Nagar. Nallakannu was residing at the government residence from 2006. Though the government had offered to provide him the house, he insisted to stay there as a tenant. After the notice of eviction was issued, he has shifted to a rented house at K.K. Nagar. The TNHB had sent notices to all the residents to vacate the premises.
Considering Nallakannu's age and his integrity in the public life, the State government should allot a house to him immediately, Stalin urged.
Having spent eight decades in politics, Nallakannu who began his political career with the CPI at the age of 15, continues be active in party works. This former State secretary of the CPI, has shifted to a rented house without any fanfare. Nallakannu has two daughters - a retired teacher who lives in Kovilpatti and another, a doctor shifted to a rented house in K.K. Nagar.
"I shifted to K. K. Nagar day before yesterday….the housing board has been evicting the residents of the colony saying it is planning a new building," he said. Presently, national council member of CPI, the soft-spoken, humble leader, has demanded the government to allot a house for Kakkan's family. "Even if I don't have a house, the government should allot a house for the descendents of Kakkan," he said.
"The notice (by Chennai Corporation) asking the people to vacate from the houses immediately is wrong. Many people have bought the houses and have been living there," Nallakannu said.
CPI (M) State secretary R. Mutharasan, TMC leader G. K. Vasan, Tamil Nationalist Movement leader Pazha Nedumaran, MMK's Jawahirullah and AMMK chief T.T.V. Dhinakaran, among others, have urged the State government to allot an alternate house to Nallakannu.
