Can there be separate rules for political parties/religious institutions and the general public? Yes, if Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan’s words are to be believed.
The CPM leader told newsmen after the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the special team spearheading the anti-encroachment drive in Munnar has been asked “not to touch buildings owned by political parties, temples, mosques or churches.”
Mr Achuthanandan’s new clarification came in the wake of vociferous protests by the CPI against the demolition of a part of the building owned by it in Munnar.
The building which also housed the CPI office was found to have encroached on the National Highway necessitating demolition. The title-deed of the land where the building stood had initially come under a cloud like several other buildings which were marked for demolition as part of the chief minister’s Mission Munnar. However, Mr Achuthanandan said on Wednesday that it has now been revealed that the documents of the CPI office were genuine. It has also come to notice that the special team handpicked by him had erred in carrying out the demolition in a hasty manner.  Otherwise, the team had been doing a commendable job. Despite the party’s protests, the chief minister said he would not allow Mission Munnar to be derailed.
He said that the team has only been given a mild reprimand and a fresh directive not to touch buildings owned by political parties or religious places.
Mr Achuthanandan refused to elaborate when asked whether this did not expose the government’s double standards on the issue of recovering encroached forest and revenue land. “You can interpret it any way. I have been as transparent to you as possible. Please do not push me to a corner,’’ the chief minister said.
In the past three weeks, the buildings owned by several hotel groups which stood on encroached government land were demolished. A couple of leading resorts have managed to delay the imminent demolition by getting it temporarily stayed by the high court. It was at this juncture that the CPI stepped up its offensive against the Munnar team appointed by Mr Achuthanandan.
However, the chief minister said that the team was otherwise doing a commendable job and would get cracking again in a day.