K Muraleedharan hits back at Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Congress leader K Muraleedharan, who is on an indefinite fast in front of the Kerala Law Academy demanding the resignation of its principal Lekshmi Nair, on Monday criticized Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for dragging the name of former Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader late K Karunakaran into the controversy related to the Academy's land.

"It was not right. Karunakaran is still a beloved leader to the people in the State. Pinarayi Vijayan is proving, through his everyday-remarks, that he is not the apt person to sit in a Chief Minister post," Muraleedharan said adding that no one would respect him if he steps down as the CM.

"Vijayan was trying to divert the focus of the issue by dragging Karunakaran into the controversy. That showed his 'submission' to Lekshmi Nair.

"It is true that the land was assigned to the Academy by Karunakaran when he was the Chief Minister. But the land was assigned to a Trust that had the Governor as its chief guardian. Pinarayi's government should investigate how the land allotted to a Trust later became a private property," the Congress leader said.

On Sunday, Vijayan had breathed fire against Muraleedharan, son of K. Karunakaran, as he is on an indefinite fast in front of the Academy.

"You all know that Muraleedharan is on an indefinite fast in front of the gates of the Academy. What must be noted is that this land was assigned to the Academy by Karunakaran when he was Chief Minister in 1984. They (Karunakaran and his son) do believe in soul and you also know that for a while Muraleedharan and Karunakaran were at loggerheads. Now he (Karunakaran's soul) might be thinking that his son is continuing his tirades against him and not leaving him," he had said.