Muslim Youth League activists protesting against the fuel cess proposal in the State Budget in front of the district collectorate in Kozhikode on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: K. Ragesh
Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) State secretary K.M. Shaji has questioned the absence of Left Democratic Front (LDF) convener E.P. Jayarajan from the State-wide Janakeeya Prathirodha Yatra (People’s Resistance March) now being taken out by CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan.
Opening a protest march organised by the Muslim Youth League (MYL), the party’s youth wing, to the Kozhikode district collectorate on Thursday, he said though some of Mr. Jayarajan’s statements were being laughed at and trolled on social media, he seemed to be the only knowledgeable politician having some common sense.
“Mr. Jayarajan abstained from the Yatra when it reached his home district of Kannur because he is intelligent. He might have thought it embarrassing to approach the people at a time when the government has imposed anti-people proposals such as the fuel cess [in the Budget],” Mr. Shaji said. The MYL march was in protest against the various tax proposals in the State Budget.
The IUML leader wondered how leaders of the Democratic Youth Federation of India or even Mr. Govindan would be able to oppose the fuel price hike by the Centre in the future. Mr. Shaji said nothing that benefited the people had been recommended in the Budget. At the same time, the government was trying to suppress people’s dissent too, he added.
