The NCP will continue agitating against the new reforms until the Centre withdrew Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Patel from his post, the party’s State president, P.C. Chacko, said here on Friday.
He was speaking after inaugurating a dharna organised in front of the Lakshadweep Administration office by NYC, the party's youth wing. The Administrator had unleashed a reign of repression in the isles at a time when decentralisation of power was becoming popular. He was acting more like a real estate agent than as an Administrator, Mr. Chacko said.
The IUML too has sought immediate withdrawal of the new regulations in the isles. The party’s national organising secretary, E.T. Mohammed Basheer, said in a memorandum forwarded to the Administrator that the “draconian and undemocratic” law reforms and executive actions of his office had caused much misery to the islanders. Efforts were also underway to shift the communication point of many offices of Lakshadweep Administration from Kerala to Karnataka, although the islanders spoke Malayalam, it said.
The Indian Human Rights Watch, an NGO, has demanded that the Centre withdraw Mr. Patel and Lakshadweep Collector Asker Ali, who justified the Administrator’s actions, from their posts. The new reforms and regulations were unnecessary and aimed at benefiting real estate stakeholders. The islanders were amongst the most peace-loving people in the world, said its general secretary Felix Pulloden.
The Janadhipathya Samrakshana Vedi has, in the meantime, alleged that a misinformation campaign was on against the new reforms in the isles.
