THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, January 4: The Bharatiya Janata Party will be launching a massive State-wide agitation, "Kerala Mochana Samaram", on January 9, to protest against the alleged misrule of the ruling LDF Government in Kerala. This was stated by BJP State president C K Padmanabhan at a press conference here on Saturday. O Rajagopal would inaugurate a march on the day here. Padmanabhan said that in the first phase of a long drawn out agitation, "Vimochana Parvam", party workers in all districts, totalling one lakh, would court arrest. He said that the CPM decision to align with other secular parties to defeat the BJP was in effect a confirmation of the CPM-Congress alliance. He challenged the Marxists and the Congress to put up joint candidates against the BJP, instead of having arrangements on the sly.Never before had the State economy been in such a pathetic condition, Padmanabhan said. The prices of rubber and cardamom had touched their nadir and those of essential commodities were rising. The Government had not even shown the common sense to bring it to the notice of "their own" Central Government, he added.Referring to the Sivagiri issue, Padmanabhan said that the Nayanar Government was pursuing the fascist policy of destroying religion. He said that the Government was subjecting Swami Prakasananda to immense mental and physical torture, evoking visions of Hitler's concentration camps. If the Government did not stop its "cruel and beastly" methods it would lead to disastrous consequences, he warned.
