'It's hooliganism in Munnar': CPM slams eviction drive in hill station

Even though the state government promised all support to the Munnar evictions by revenue team headed by Devikulam Sub collector Sreeram Venkitaraman, the CPM Idukky district leadership is not happy with the demolition drive
 

Related: Munnar eviction drive begins by demolishing huge cross; prohibitory orders imposed
 

A team of revenue officials had resumed crackdown on encroachment into public land in Munnar by demolishing a huge cross erected in the middle of 2,000 acres. Even though the Congress offered all the support to the government in the Munnar operation, the CPM district leadership, including Devikulam MLA Rajendran warned against carrying on with the drive.

Related:6000 acres and counting: Land, resort mafia thrive in Munnar
 

"The Police and sub collector are trying to threaten people," Rajendran said. "The encroachments should be evicted. But why did they demolish the cross? The government could have attached the land and stop others from entering it," the MLA said. He also criticised the prohibitive orders slapped ahead of the drive. "Is there a war going on in Munnar," he asked angrily while criticizing the imposition of restrictive orders. "The visuals of demolishing the cross will pain lakhs of believers across the world," he said.
 

Related: Mani and Munnar strain CPM-CPI relations once again
 

'It's hooliganism in Munnar,' said CPM district secretary KK Jayachandran on Munnar eviction drive. He warned the sub collector and media for trying to take law into their hands.

Related: CPM legislator produced forged documents to justify land grab in Munnar

Rajendran, the CPM legislator who allegedly forged documents to justify his land grab, has been highly critical of the Munnar operation to retrieve public land from land mafia. Even after senior CPM leader VS Achuthanandan termed him a hand of land mafia in Munnar, he continued his strong opposition to the efforts to free Munnar from the clutches of land grabbers. 

• Munnar eviction
• CPM slams Munnar drive
• Munnar land grab
• S Rajendran