Kerala’s Left, BJP spar over Lakshadweep situation

Thiruvananthapuram, May 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Kerala's ruling Left Democratic Front and the BJP on Monday engaged in a spat on reports that have surfaced from Lakshadweep on the actions of the new Administrator of the Union Territory, Praful Patel.

Patel is a former Home Minister of Gujarat.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said the news that has been reported in the media about things in the islands is not acceptable.

"Kerala and the islands have had very long-standing, close relations in the fields of trade, commerce and education. The news that is coming out is some steps are being done to wreck their culture and that in no way is acceptable at all," he said.

State BJP President K.Surendran, however, called to put an end to the "canards" being spread in Kerala about what is happening in the islands.

"The policy of PM Narendra Modi is national security and development and his aim is to provide development and security for the people in the islands and the Administrator's job is to see it takes place. Incidentally some media reports were there about that in certain uninhabitated places there were some sort of terror-related activities and also about drug trafficking. But, in Kerala, these things are being twisted that it's going to affect one particular community, which is baseless," he said.

"The development of the Kavarati airport is high on the agenda as it would change the face of the islands and those who do not want this to happen are spreading canards... such people also want to create unrest in Kerala too," he alleged.

Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha members, Elamaram Karim (CPI-M) and Binoy Viswam (CPI). on Monday wrote to the President urging him to recall Patel.

Source: IANS