T’puram: CPM state secretary M V Govindan, addressing the media after the party state secretariat meeting on Tuesday, alleged that govt’s drive against drug abuse lost steam after Youth Congress worker K H Muhammad Hussain landed in the police net.Govindan, who refuted CM VD Satheesan’s claims that Hussain had never been his social media coordinator, claimed that the police had not even submitted an application seeking his custody for questioning because of his close links with the CM. Govindan claimed the police were denied permission to access Hussain’s call details as it could lead to uncomfortable truths.At the same time, he alleged a political motive behind enforcement directorate (ED) raids on the homes of CPM workers in Kozhikode in connection with the monthly-payment case involving Veena, the daughter of opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan and the wife of ex-minister Mohamed Riyas. He claimed that ED raided the homes of party workers and those closely connected to Riyas and other CPM functionaries to tarnish their public image.Govindan alleged that the state govt had failed to initiate effective market intervention measures ahead of Onam, triggering an unusual rise in the prices of essential commodities. He accused the state govt of not fulfilling the promises made to victims of the recent rain havoc. He claimed that govt had not prepared a beneficiary list and had not yet given the promised financial assistance to the affected families.Govindan added that govt was not resisting the governor’s attempts to function as a parallel power centre. The governor exercised powers not at his disposal by summoning the state police chief and issuing instructions to him. Govt failed to respond, alleged the state secretary.Govindan also claimed that Vande Mataram was not sung in full in Kerala because the opposition strongly opposed the plan to sing it in full.
