The ruling CPI(M) and the opposition Congress in Kerala seem to be making open calls for battle over the proposed semi-high-speed rail project amidst concerns that the state was heading for a Nandigram-type stir.
While the Congress, which already launched protests against the rail project, announced that the survey stones being laid for the project would be uprooted, a senior CPI(M) leader cautioned that those who turn up to uproot the stones should mind their teeth.
The Left Front government is also sending signals of its tough stand against the protests against the rail project by registering a case against a Youth Congress activist who shared pictures of a survey stone of the project found uprooted in Kannur district the other day. The case was registered on charges of making call for riots. Youth Congress staged a protest against it on Saturday.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran recently stated that the survey stones being laid as part of the project would be uprooted. Congress-led United Democratic Front's convenor M M Hassan also clarified that the stones would be literally pulled out by those opposing the project. Incidentally, the very next morning, one stone was found uprooted at Madayipara in Kannur district.
While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reacted that such protests would not derail the government's efforts to bring in the development initiative, CPI(M) senior leader M V Jayarajan cautioned that those turning up to uproot the survey stones should be careful about their teeth. It is widely considered as an open warning that the CPI(M) would even deal with the violent stirs against the rail project using muscle power.
The CPI(M) leader's statement is assuming significance as Kerala had witnessed the CPI(M) suppressing stirs against the Left Front government using muscle power. The latest instance was a popular stir against acquiring paddy field at Keezhattur village in Kannur district. Even as a section in the CPI(M) was initially backed the stir by farmers, later the local party workers were allegedly involved in setting fire to the shed of the agitators.
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