Chennithala accuses VS of politicising ban on endosulfan

A day after an all-party delegation headed by Kerala Health Minister P K Sreemathi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue, Chennithala alleged that the Chief Minister was "not being sincere" to the cause of the victims of the pesticide.

He urged Achuthanandan to stop politicising the matter which concerns everybody. Chennithala also demanded that the Central government impose a ban on the use of the pesticide across the country, raise the issue in the Stockholm Convention and try to get the support of other countries to ban the use of endosulfan across the globe.

"Kerala Chief Minister wanted to politicise the whole issue of endosulfan by levelling baseless allegations against the Congress party and the UPA government at the Centre. This can not be justified. He is trying to take political mileage out of this and the people of Kerala will understand this," Chennithala told reporters here.

He said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave a "patient hearing" to the all-party delegation. "He is awaiting for ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) report. Let the report come, they will discuss and take a final call on it," Chennithala said.

Stepping up the attack on the Centre over the issue of banning Endosulfan, Achuthanandan had earlier in the day accused the UPA government of favouring the pesticide lobby. He also termed as "deplorable" Singh's stand that a further detailed study was needed before considering a nation-wide ban on it.

Citing a case filed by Indian Lawyers' Congress President T Asif Ali in the Kerala High Court for establishment of a tribunal for fixing the compensation, Chennithala alleged that the Achuthanandan government failed to file an affidavit in the Court in this regard.

"If he was so sincere to victims, he should have first of all given an affidavit," he said, adding that if Achuthanandan was sincere he should have led the all-party delegation yesterday.

Chennithala said he and Opposition Leader Oommen Chandy will meet the Prime Minister on Monday demanding a central India ban on the pesticide and raise the matter "very strongly".