Kerala govt to advertise to end allegations of persecution

The Communist-led government in the south Indian state of Kerala plans to launch an ad campaign to justify the arrest of their bete noir M V Raghavan in connection with a police firing in 1994 that claimed five Communist youth wing activists.

The government was reacting to an Opposition onslaught on the government and adverse reactions in various circles. Even some of the ruling front constituents, like the Revolutionary Socialist Party, have expressed their disapproval with the government's action.

Raghavan, the minister of co-operation in the Congress-led United Democratic Front at that time, was arrested along with two others on July 4 on the basis of the Padmanabhan Nair Commission report. The advertisement, being released in all major newspapers in Kerala, displays those portion of the report which indict Raghavan.

It tries to assert that the arrest was not politically motivated but a result of the Commission report which said Raghavan was primarily responsible for the police firing on November 25, 1994 at Koothuparambu in the state's northern district of Kannur. The ad was prepared by the state public relations department following a directive from the chief minister's office, according to a reliable source. The department was also instructed to bring out excerpts of the commission's report in book form for wider distribution.

The Left Democratic Front state committee which met in Thiruvananthapuram has also decided to launch a mass campaign against the UDF for the stand it took in the Raghavan issue. The LDF plans to organise public meetings in all the major centres of the state.

This is the first time that a Kerala government has had to advertise to explain its actions. The media has already pointed out that the Communist Party of India-Marxist had expelled Raghavan and been trying to marginalise him politically ever since he lobbied for electoral adjustments with the Indian Union Muslim League.

Raghavan, who was released on bail, is now undergoing treatment in Mangalore for cardiac problems and high blood pressure. The government also plans to arrest him in connection with the attempt on the life of CPI-M legislator E P Jayarajan. He has already moved an application for bail in the state high court.

EARLIER STORIES:
Raghavan gets bail
Congress strike paralyses Kerala