The beleaguered president of Kerala BJP, K Surendran, who is held responsible for the election debacle of the party by the entire State leadership, had to field former Governor of Mizoram K Rajasekharan to save himself from the grilling by the media on Sunday. Interestingly, the presence of Union Minister V Muraleedharan did not go well with Kerala Police and they stood their ground that the meeting would not be allowed come what may.
The 11-member core committee of the party which was to meet at Ernakulam’s Bharat Tourist Home, to take stock of the situation arising out of the BJP’s wash out in the Assembly election had to be shifted to the district committee office following the instruction of the Kerala Police that a meeting of this magnitude could not be allowed in a hotel.
Before moving out of the hotel, the State leaders including Rajasekharan and union minister of State V Muraleedharan addressed the media and alleged that the police action was in response to directive issued by the political boss of Kerala (read Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister).
Rajasekharan alleged that the CPI(M) and CPI with the help of the media were selectively targeting the BJP and its president Surendran in connection with the heist and seizure of hawala money of Rs 3.5 crore, reportedly belonging to the Hindutwa party. “A part of the money was seized from Dharmarajan. It was the BJP leadership that approached the police with a complaint that the money meant for election campaign has been stolen. If it was hawala money, do you think we would have approached the police? Moreover, Dharmarajan is an activist of the BJP and we do not have any issues in accepting our links with him,” said Rajasekharan.
Though Union Minister Muraleedharan and former Kerala chief were present during the media conference along with Surendran, they maintained silence.
When asked why the Enforcement Directorate could not be entrusted with the investigation, the union minister said it was not possible.
C P Radhakrishnan, the party leader in charge of Kerala affairs had flown ito Kochi to preside over the meeting.
“It is really shocking to note that the Kerala Police did not allow a meeting which was to be addressed by a Union Minister and a two-time member of the Lok Sabha to take place. Rajasekharan is correct when he stated that this was an act of victimization by the CPI(M),” said a political commentator based in Thiruvananthapuram.
The BJP in Kerala is facing the worst crisis it has come across during the last four decades. Sundara, an independent candidate who had filed his nomination from Manjeswaram had alleged the other day that he was forced to withdraw from the race at the instance of Surendran who had paid him Rs 2.5 lakh and a mobile phone.
He also said that he had been offered licences to open two liquor outlets in Karnataka if Surendran wins the election.