VS hurt religious sentiments: Hassan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress leader M.M. Hassan has charged Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) with trying to hurt religious sensibilities and create communal tension.

Mr. Hassan, who was flagging off a Neyyar Dam camp yatra organised by the Perunthanni Ward Congress Committee here on Monday, said the Chief Ministers Muslim-baiting was part of a political exercise he indulged in whenever elections were round the corner. He challenged Mr. Achuthanandan to ban sections which organised on communal lines and wrecked law and order in the State if he had the guts to do it.

He wanted to know if the Chief Minister was trying to extend to Kerala the open ties the CPI(M) had with the Bhartiya Janata Party, as seen in the organisation of the July 5 Bharat bandh and in Parliament.

V.S. Sivakumar, president of the District Congress Committee, who inaugurated the camp, said the government which did not implement any development project worth the name was trying to pass off Central projects as its own.

The government which destroyed development and law and order during its four years in office was spending crores of rupees to project itself as a good government.

He described such actions as a challenge to the people.