Defence Minister A K Antony’s remarks on Wednesday that the UDF government in the state had no interest in attracting defence projects, has once again laid bare infighting within the Congress and ego clash between ministers.
Sources close to Antony view the tirade as a multipronged strategy to convey to Chandy that the Centre is not happy with the functioning of his government, break the Chandy-Mani-Kunahlikutty axis, assert that the much trumpeted investment meet was not held with genuine interest and endorse the view of a section of Congress MLAs and leaders that the government is not on the right track.
At present, Chandy, Industries Minister Kunhalikutty and Finance Minister K M Mani call the shots in the government. Congress leaders are apparently irked with this and appealed Antony to intervene. Several Congress members openly alleged that the new investment policy and the recently held international investors meet were actually a ploy “to hand over government land on a platter to a few rich NRI businessmen from the state.”
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