Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has cautioned against attempts to smear the LIFE Mission housing project by dragging it into controversies.
Briefing reporters about the decisions of the party secretariat here on Friday, Mr. Balakrishnan said that a statement purpotedly made by Swapna Suresh, an accused in the gold smuggling case, before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) should not be used to malign a project that constructed 2.25 lakh houses for the poor.
She had reportedly told the NIA that she had received ₹1 crore as commission from Red Crescent that is implementing the housing project at Wadakkancherry in Thrissur. Mr. Balakrishnan welcomed the NIA probe and clarified that the government would take action on the statement upon getting an official communication from the agency. The government cannot act on the basis of media reports. Moreover, the builder for housing project was selected by Red Crescent and the government was not involved in any cash transactions, he said.
The party was opposed to cyber bullying of any sort and had directed party cadre against targeting anyone, including journalists, on social media, he said.
Agitation on Aug. 23
The party would organise an agitation on August 23 in compliance with the COVID-19 protocol against the anti-people policies of the Union government. Party workers as well as members of the mass and class organisations of the party would participate in the satyagraha from their residences between 4 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. against the ‘recruitment ban of the Centre, selling out of public sector undertakings and the draft EIA notification, 2020, which was drawn up without consultations to help the mining lobby and corporates,’ he said. The party and the State government were opposed to the notification and would protest against it, he said.
