CPI-M leader’s yatra attracts opposition flak in Kerala

Kozhikode (Kerala), Oct 26 (IANS) As the opposition in Kerala on Thursday slammed CPI-M State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan for riding a "history-sheeter’s car" during his ‘Jana Jagratha Yatra’ here, he tried to wriggle out of it by saying it was not possible to know the details of each and every vehicle one travels in.

Balakrishnan had travelled in a BMW Mini Cooper as part of his road show near here this week which, both the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the Bharatiya Janata Party said, belonged to a "smuggler charged by the Department of Revenue Intelligence".

With pictures of his travel in the car going viral, a peeved Balakrishnan said: "It’s not possible to know the details and ownership of every car one travels in", but promised that the ruling party will look into how this happened.

Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said it was "most unfortunate" that the left leader had undertaken the yatra in a car belonging to a smuggler. He said one failed to understand why the roadshow was undertaken at all.

"How will Balakrishnan create public awareness by this road show? However, it’s now clear who the Communist Party of India-Marxist’s friends are. They are best when it comes to preaching morality and probity in politics, but falter very badly when it comes to putting it into practice," Chennithala said.

Senior BJP leader K. Surendran, who first raised the matter in public, said the ball was now in Balakrishnan’s court and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan should explain how this had happened.

In state capital Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayan did not take media questions on the controversy ahead of a meeting with top government officials. His staff asked the media to leave the meeting hall.