BJP wants Kunhalikutty to quit cabinet

THRISSUR: BJP state president V Muraleedharan on Friday demanded the removal of Industry Minister P K Kunhalikutty from the Cabinet in connection with the recent WikiLeaks revelations over the association between the minister and NDF (National Democratic Front). Muraleedharan was speaking at a press conference here.He said the Chief Minister had not responded to the revelations of the WikiLeaks so far and the government was not serious about the riot in Kasargod. “The secular position of Kerala will be in danger if the government does not remove Kunhalikutty who holds a ministerial position in the Cabinet. An inquiry should be conducted on the links of Kunhalikutty with terrorists,”  Muraleedharan said.Instead of bringing out facts in the revelation of WikiLeaks, the IUML leaders were busy covering them up, he added. WikiLeaks had disclosed that IUML leader and Panchayat and Social Welfare Minister M K Muneer had told the American Consulate officials that Kunhalikutty had discredited the IUML by shielding the NDF. He said there were already several intelligence reports over the nexus between Indian Union Muslim League leaders and the NDF. There were evidence on the involvement of the NDF activists in Marad and Kasargod riots. But the IUML leaders were trying to hide their involvement in it. Muraleedharan also said that Muneer had also done wrong by covering up the association between Kunhalikutty and the NDF, until now.The BJP would take out a protest march on September 5 demanding the removal of Kunhalikutty and against the suspension of Nizar Commission, which was probing the firing in Kasargod, Muraleedharan said.