CPI(M) attacks Muraleedharan for anti-K-Rail campaign

The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala on Sunday slammed Union Minister V Muraleedharan, who has been campaigning against the Left government's ambitious SilverLine project, and said his opposition was against the federal principles of the country.

The CPI(M) said the land survey for the K-Rail project was initiated after receiving an in-principle nod from the central government and even the Supreme Court has permitted it to go ahead with the social impact assessment process for the proposed project, which is facing massive protests in the state.

Dismissing the charges, Muraleedharan asked why the Left party was worried over him meeting people directly.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan ridiculed Muraleedharan's anti-K-Rail campaign and said the Union minister now understands the positive attitude of the people towards the K-Rail.

''We have seen the visuals... Just imagine our situation if we are having such Union ministers. Can you even imagine any Union minister going around campaigning against a development project of a state? I have had a healthy discussion about the SilverLine with the prime minister. But a member of his cabinet is going around spreading negativity about the project,'' Vijayan said.

The chief minister was speaking in Kannur at an event to celebrate the first anniversary of his second government in the state.

''Recently, in Thiruvananthapuram, the Union minister campaigned against the project which was approved in-principle by the Centre. The irony is that a Union minister is campaigning against a development project allowed by the Supreme Court,'' the CPI(M) said in a statement.

On Saturday, Muraleedharan's campaign against the state government's flagship project saw a twist as a family in the state capital publicly endorsed the rail corridor and informed him that they have no problem in parting with their land for the same even though he repeatedly tried to explain to them its 'drawbacks'.

''The interference by Muraleedharan is against the federal principles of the country,'' the CPI(M) state secretariat claimed.

''The state is now witnessing an unusual situation in which a Union minister, who is supposed to take a proactive stand for the development of the state, is opposing it. The protest against the minister shows that the people in Kerala will oppose such a narrow mindset,'' it said.

In his speech, Vijayan said the social impact study of the project, based on which many matters including the alignment will be decided, is still going on, and even the Supreme Court has allowed it to continue.

''Now the opposition Congress and the BJP are saying that they will not allow it to happen. The land owners are not concerned about it. We have assured them that they will receive more than enough compensation in case their lands were to be taken. The opposition is creating an unfortunate situation in the state,'' he said.

The chief minister said his government was trying to implement development projects for the future generations.

Meanwhile, Muraleedharan, at a press meet in the state capital, reacted to the CPI(M)'s allegation, saying he was trying to understand the pulse of the people by walking among them.

''As an activist, I went to meet the people who are fearing eviction in the state. Why is the CPI(M) worried about it? Unlike the chief minister, who met with prominent persons in his AC room, I walked among the common people to understand their concerns,'' the Union minister said.

Chief Minister Vijayan had rejected the state-wide protests against the ambitious project, and said that people would receive twice the market price as compensation for their land.

Opposition parties in Kerala staged protests over the SilverLine project by uprooting survey stones laid at various locations.

However, the Left government is going forward with the project, which the party had promised to the people in its election manifesto.

The SilverLine project will cover a 530-kilometre stretch from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod in the state and will be developed by K-Rail, a joint venture of the Kerala government and the Ministry of Railways. The semi high-speed rail line will have 11 stations with an estimated cost of around Rs 64,000 crore.

The project aims to ease transportation along the entire north-south length of Kerala and will reduce the total travel time to less than four hours compared with the present 12-14 hours.