VS puts Pinarayi Vijayan govt in a fix; rakes up Vizhinjam issue

After openly criticising the Pinarayi Vijayan Government's stand on Icecream parlour sex trafficking case, Communist veteran VS Achuthanandan has made it clear that he will continue to fight for justice in the case. VS also came out in public against giving the Vizhinjam Port project to Adani Ports, a smart move that is likely to put the Left government in a tight spot.
 

Also read: Rebel VS is back: CPM veteran hits out at govt in Icecream parlour case
 

Unperturbed by the Supreme Court criticism that he was playing politics by demanding CBI probe into the Icecream parlour case, Achuthanandan clarified that he would continue the legal fight. The Kerala Government counsel had informed the Supreme Court that Achuthanandan was politically motivated and that his plea for a CBI investigation may be rejected.   
 

Also read:  VS politically motivated, Kerala Govt. in Supreme Court
 

The former Kerala Chief Minister, whose long-standing rivalry with the official CPM faction led by Pinarayi Vijayan is no secret, raked up the issue of Vizhinjam port on Thursday.  The LDF policy is that ports should come up in the public sector. And any move to give away the port projects to private companies goes against the interests of the state. The issue of Vizhinjam port should be discussed in the Assembly, he demanded.

When the previous LDF government mooted the idea of a mother port at Vizhinjam, the intention was that it should be implemented in the public sector. But Oommen Chandy and Nitin Gadkari subverted the proposal in favour of Adani, the CPM leader stated.  
 

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In the outset, it might sound that Achuthanandan is taking a  predictable stand of a communist leader against 'capitalist Adani.' But he is, in fact, forcing his party and the Pinarayi Vijayan government to clarify its stand on the Vizhinjam project, which is not so easy in the current scenario. In the run-up to the Assembly elections, Pinarayi Vijayan had alleged massive corruption in awarding the Vizhinjam port project to Adani.  He suspected a fraud worth Rs.6,000 crore in handing over the land to Adani Ports. He had also alleged a secret deal between Oommen Chandy and Adani.  But Vijayan is yet to air his views public on Vizhijam after assuming office as Chief Minister.

But, after meeting Vijayan at his office in the first week of June, Karan Adani, CEO of Adani Ports and SEZ, told media persons that the Vizhinjam project will move forward as per plan. 

• VS Achthanandan
• VS against Pinarayi govt
• VS on Icecream parlour case
• VS on Vizhinjam