By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan Tuesday took a dig at state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala, who was observing a fast in front of the state secretariat, asking him to protest price rise outside parliament instead.
“He is observing a 24-hour fast before the state secretariat. This is of no use at all. We have done no wrong and are not to be blamed for the price rise. The wrong policies of the Centre are the root cause of the price rise and it would be good if he sits in protest there,” Achuthanandan told reporters here after a meeting with parliament members from Kerala.
“See, it is very cold there, so he should carry woollen clothes,” he added sarcastically.
Achuthanandan said he would take up with the prime minister and other central ministers the need to immediately restore Kerala’s full food-grain quota under the public distribution system. The quota was reduced recently.
Launching the protest against price rise earlier, leader of opposition Oommen Chandy said the state’s ministers had no time for governance.
“The only thing they are doing is selling government land to private parties. Several instances of illegal sale of land have come up since this government took over,” he said.
Chandy said the Congress had no option but to intensify their stir against the “inefficient government”.