Thiruvananthapuram, March 5 The Congress in Kerala on Thursday criticized the state government's Public Relations Department (PRD) for publishing advertisements in leading English and Malayalam newspapers about the alleged shortcomings during the Oommen Chandy administration.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph, party general secretary K C Venugopal, and senior leader Ramesh Chennithala, among others, termed the advertisements as an attempt by the Left government to improve its image ahead of the assembly polls at the expense of taxpayers.
Venugopal, also the MP from the Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency, said that such a thing had never happened in the state before.
He said that when doctors, ASHA workers, etc., sought an increase in their wages, the government would say "no".
"But, they are spending crores of rupees trying to regain their lost image. People will see through it. They (CPIM) attacked Oommen Chandy when he was alive, and they are doing so even now, out of fear of his popularity among the public," the Alappuzha MP told reporters.
KPCC chief Joseph expressed a similar view at a press conference held here during the day.
Joseph claimed that the government's Public Relations Department (PRD) was using public funds to spread lies.
He said that this was being done to overcome the recent defeat of the CPI(M) and LDF in the local body elections and to divert attention from the internal problems within the Left party and front.
He further said that it was a "wrong practice" that had never been seen before in the state.
Earlier in the day, Chennithala contended that using public money to issue such advertisements which "hide the good things done by the Oommen Chandy government and spread lies, is an abuse of power and an extravagance" by the PRD.
The senior Congress leader further said that the PRD was using taxpayer money to run election-related campaigns and warned that none of the officials involved would receive a pension.
"They (PRD) are wasting public money to help the CPI(M) and LDF in the upcoming elections. This should never have happened. We will take strict legal action against it," he said.
He also said that the PRD is expected to be unbiased, and therefore, it should have also mentioned the graft allegations against the first Pinarayi Vijayan government in the advertisements issued by it.
