IUML pressure behind Shaji’s U-turn

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MLA K M Shaji, one among the members of the ‘Green Brigade’ within the UDF Government, has softened his stance on the Emerging Kerala meet with the party leadership tightening its noose around the young legislator.

Party sources told Express that the MLA has been told to avoid criticising the project as the Opposition parties are exploiting it for sabotaging the ambitious development initiative.

It is learnt that a statement endorsing the ‘Emerging Kerala’ initiative was issued by K M Shaji the other day in Thiruvananthapuram following the strong pressure from Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty.

Sources maintained that Shaji has been directed to clarify his stance on the project at the earliest through the media.

Earlier, six UDF MLAs championing the cause of ‘Greens’ including Shaji, in a blog post on greenthoughtskerala.blogspot.in, had openly demanded that the state government must ensure that all land transactions for Emerging Kerala projects are transparent and according to norms.

They demanded that all new projects and investments must adhere to the principle of sustainable growth and maintained that all types of industries cannot be brought to Kerala.

When contacted K M Shaji said that there was no party diktat against him regarding the Emerging Kerala project.

However, the MLA admitted that the precautions suggested by the ‘Green Brigade’ in connection with the project have been misused by the Opposition parties.