Thiruvananthapuram: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), taking issue with Defence Minister A K Antony, on Monday published an article questioning why the minister was so harsh on the Oommen Chandy government, in a speech he made in the state capital last week. The IUML has been disgruntled ever since the Congress leadership turned down its request to elevate its nominee, Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed, to cabinet rank or hand him a portfolio with independent charge.
In a special article in the party organ on Monday, the IUML, the second-biggest constituent in the Congress-led coalition, said: "It's mysterious why Antony made such a remark, especially when Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is working really hard to take Kerala into new realms of development. Of late, Antony does not dabble in state politics and hence it's all the more baffling why he did this." The author of the article is a leader of the youth wing of the party.
At the BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited last week, Antony stunned his audience when he said he did not have the courage to bring more units of his department into Kerala. He also praised the previous Left government of the state, and then industries minister Elamaram Kareem.
On Saturday, at the inauguration of the HAL unit in Kasargode, Antony clarified that he was referring to how politics overtakes everything else in Kerala. He claimed this trend did not augur well for the state. The union
03:15 PM, Nov 19, 2012
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Monday granted bail to CPM Kannur District Secretary P Jayarajan, arrested in connection with the politically sensitive murder of IUML activist Abdul Shukkoor in February. Justice Babu P Mathew Joseph granted the bail and directed Jayarajan to furnish a bond of Rs 25,000 and two sureties for the like amount. The court turned down the prosecution plea to restrain Jayarajan, arrested on August 1,...
01:25 PM, Aug 27, 2012
Kochi: The Kerala High Court will on Monday hear CPM leader P Jayarajan's bail petition in connection with the Abdul Shukkoor murder case. The court had asked the state government to present its view on the bail petition on Monday. The High Court on Tuesday granted bail to CPM MLA T V Rajesh, who was arrested in connection with the murder of the IUML activist. Rajesh, charged under IPC Section...
11:56 AM, Aug 27, 2012
Malappuram: The police have arrested one more person in connection with the Kuni twin murder case. IUML Eranad constituency secretary Parammal Ahmedkutty was arrested by the police here on Wednesday after a long interrogation session. Special Investigation Team member DySP Mohanachandran informed that the accused was aware of the conspiracy behind the murder of Kolakkadan Azad and Kolakkadan Aboobacker. In a controversial speech he made days before the twin murder,...
01:11 PM, Aug 09, 2012
Thiruvananthapuram: A senior Kerala Communist Party of India-Marxist leader has been arrested in connection with the murder of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) worker Abdul Shukkoor. CPI-M leader P Jayarajan was arrested by the special police team investigating the Shukkoor murder case. The special team served a notice on Jayarajan to appear before the team at 11 AM on Wednesday for questioning. He was remanded to judicial custody for 14...
12:14 PM, Aug 01, 2012
Thiruvananthapuram: In a setback to the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in Kerala, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered it to continue monitoring the infamous ice cream parlour sex case that involved top political leaders within the coalition. The apex court's directive came after former Kerala CM and Left leader VS Achuthanandan approached it asking that the Kerala HC keep at the case since it involved high-profile politicians. In...
01:22 PM, Jul 05, 2012
Thiruvananthapuram: Blamed for yielding to the IUMLs pressure tactics and hence upsetting the communal equation, the Congress is gearing up for an image makeover by maintaining a communal balance while revamping its various block, district and state committees. The leadership, that has been under criticism from the majority communities over the allotment of the fifth ministerial berth, is for giving due recognition to the latter in its various committees. Moreover,...
12:25 PM, Jun 25, 2012
Thiruvananthapuram: P K Basheer, a first-time legislator of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) that is a partner in Kerala's ruling coalition, has been named the sixth accused in a twin murder that took place on Sunday night in Malappuram district. According to the police, brothers K. Azad and K. Abubacker were hacked to death by a gang at the Arikode market in Malappuram district. Despite being given medical attention,...
02:45 PM, Jun 11, 2012
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Owning up joint responsibility, KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala and Chief Minister Oommen Chandy have admitted that there were some mistakes in the way the fifth minister berth was allotted to the IUML, which had created discontent among Congress leaders in the state. In the opening remarks of the KPCC executive committee held here on Wednesday, Ramesh admitted that some mistakes had occurred which should be taken as a lesson...
12:11 PM, May 03, 2012
The communal genie whose support the Congress invoked to oust Kerala's first Communist government more than 50 years ago are still around and turning the state's politics viral. Across the fractured polity there is animated discussion on how the decision of the Indian Union Muslim League, the second largest constituent of the Congress-led United Democratic Front, to press its year-old demand for an additional ministerial berth will affect the communal...
10:56 AM, Apr 10, 2012
Thiruvananthapuram: IUML leader and Kerala Minister MK Muneer on Friday rejected CPM's demand for his resignation following WikiLeaks revelation suggesting that he had told US consular officials that his party had divisions about the approach towards Kerala-based radical outfit NDF. Dubbing the content of the diplomatic cable, quoted by the whistle blower, as "mere imagination of the US officials", Muneer told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram IUML has always stood firmly against...
08:07 PM, Sep 03, 2011
Kannur: After causing discomfiture in CPM in Kerala, US diplomatic cables leaked by WikiLeaks have embarrassed the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) by suggesting divisions in the party over its approach towards extremist outfit National Development Front (NDF). The whistleblower site revealed that a cable allegedly sent to Washington by the US consulate in Chennai a few years back quoted IUML leader MK Muneer as having said that party leaders...
07:48 PM, Sep 03, 2011
Thiruvananthapuram: With the selection of Ministers running into a major controversy within the Congress, the UDF is holding a crucial meeting on Monday to decide on the IUML demand for a fifth Cabinet berth and to finalise the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker. The Congress is facing a Herculean task of having to first set its own house and that of the Front's in order as the Cabinet-formation has...
08:59 AM, May 30, 2011
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Monday played down the rumblings in ruling UDF over the number of ministerial berths claimed by IUML, the second largest partner in the Front. "The Front is not facing any crisis over the issue. We are moving ahead with specific agenda and programmes. As announced earlier, 13 new ministers were sworn in today," Chandy told reporters after a cabinet meeting on Monday. Asked...
11:02 PM, May 23, 2011
Thiruvananthapuram: The tough bargaining for ministerial posts among the UDF constituents has ended with the Kerala Congress(M) accepting two berths, with a promise of getting an additional berth in the near future, and the IUML four. KC(M) Chairman KM Mani will be the new Finance Minister while PJ Joseph gets the Water Resources and Irrigation portfolios. Mani will also look after Law and Housing. All constituents, even those having only...
09:53 AM, May 18, 2011
Kochi: Congress in Kerala on Monday said CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan must make it clear if the party had any understanding with the Jamaat-e-Islami for the April 13 Assembly polls. CPM, which had some time ago described Jamaat-e-Islami as a fundamentalist outfit, was now indulging in "opportunist politics" by wooing it on the eve of the polls, Kerala PCC President Ramesh Chennithala alleged. "In all the constituencies, CPM has...
02:31 PM, Apr 04, 2011
Puducherry: Congress President Sonia Gandhi will address an election rally on April 5 in Puducherry to garner support for the Congress-DMK alliance in the Union Territory. Speaking to reporters in Puducherry, Union Minister of State for Planning and Prime Minister's office V Narayanasamy said AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee would also campaign for alliance candidates on April 7 and 9 respectively. Congress is contesting in...
11:56 AM, Apr 04, 2011
Chennai: Ruling DMK and AIADMK are locked in a close race for electoral supremacy in the April 13 Tamil Nadu polls with both sewing up formidable alliances, setting the stage for one of the fiercest battles ever. Both the major Dravidian parties have been winning the elections alternately since 1989 and AIADMK taking the lead in bringing all major opposition parties under its umbrella has made the contest a much...
02:41 PM, Mar 27, 2011
Thiruvananthapuram: In a setback to Congress-led UDF, the Communist Marxist Party (CMP), one of the minor partners of the Front, on Wednesday decided not to accept the three seats allotted to them for the April 13 assembly elections, holding that it was unilaterally decided by the Congress. Addressing reporters, CMP general secretary M V Raghavan said the seats given to them Dharmadam, Kunnamkulam and Nattika were not acceptable they were...
01:45 PM, Mar 24, 2011
Thiruvananthapuram: Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader PK Kunhalikutty, a former Kerala minister, who has been the target of political attacks by the ruling Left Front on Sunday said he is now a much liked man by the public. "Seeing the massive crowds turning up to hear my speeches these days I feel that that people like me more and I am happy about the response from them," said Kunhalikutty....
04:58 PM, Mar 13, 2011
