Kerala leaders slam Chidambaram’s speech on dam issue

Terming the Kerala government’s apprehension over safety of the Mullaperiyar dam as “unnecessary”,Home Minister P Chidambaram today claimed it was borne out of “bypoll fear”.

“It is an unnecessary fear. It is not even a temporary or a permanent fear. It is only a bypoll fear,” Chidambaram said.

Joseph,who belongs to the Kerala Congress (M),a key partner in the ruling Congress-led UDF,said Chidambaram had lost his right to continue in the Union cabinet after making his statement.

KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala termed Chidambaram’s statement as “extremely unfortunate” as it came at a time when the Prime Minister was taking initiative to solve the issue.

The impropriety of the statement would be brought to the Prime Minister’s notice,Chennithala said in a statement.

CPI(M) leader and state opposition leader V S Achuthanandan also wanted Chidambaram to be dropped from the Union cabinet.

Congress MPs from Kerala M I Shanawas and P T Thomas,senior party leader V M Sudheeran,CPI-M politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and former water resources minister and RSP leader N K Premachandran also slammed Chidambaram’s statement.

“For a moment at least,Chidambaram seems to have forgotten that he is a Minister at the Centre and has spoken like a local leader,” Shanawas said.

Sudheeran demanded Chidambaram to withdraw his statement and the Prime Minister to restrain him from making such remarks,which,he said,were unbecoming of his position as a senior Union Minister.

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan asked Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and senior Congress leaders to spell out their stand on Chidambaram’s statement.

“What he (Chidambaram) has said amounts to breach of assurance given by the Prime Minister to the all-party delegation from Kerala that he (Singh) would make efforts to amicably settle the issue,” Balakrishnan said.

BJP state president V Muraleedharan said Chidambaram’s statement exposed the “political drama” being played by the Congress over the issue.