Left Democratic Front in Kerala set to be expanded
Thiruvananthapuram, July 22 : Kerala's ruling CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) will holds discussions on expanding the grouping, which has six constituents, by inducting seven "friendly allies", in its meeting this week, said informed sources.
Presently the LDF consists of Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Communist Party of India, the Janata Dal-Secular, the Congress-S, and the Nationalist Congress Party, all of whom have representation in the assembly and the Kerala Congress-Skaria Thomas, which has no lawmaker, and had seven allied parties.
These are the National Secular Conference, the Kerala Congress-B, the Communist Marxist Party-A, the Revolutionary Socialist Party-Leninist - all having a legislator each, while the Janadhipathya Samrakshana Samithi-Gowri, the Indian National League and Kerala Congress-Democratic are currently unrepresented in the house.
A source in the know of things told IANS that a move to expand the LDF has been on the cards for a while and will come up at its meeting here on Thursday.
"What is to happen is this all the allies would be asked to discuss themselves and report back at the next LDF meeting, when the decision would be arrived at," said the source.
Of these affiliated parties, the Kerala Congress-Democratic, led by former Lok Sabha member Francis George, is one which the CPI-M is certainly keen to have on account of its presence in good numbers, especially among the Christian community, in Idukki, Kottayam and Pathanamathitta districts.
The LDF leadership however has to ensure a clear-cut understanding with the new entrants, that if they are taken into the fold, there should be no attempts to demand ministerial berths, like Congress-S, whose lone legislator is minister since the party has been long been in the LDF.
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Badlapur accused Akshay Shinde shot dead: Lawyer of minor girls calls it 'killing of justice'
Mumbai (PTI): The gunning down of Badlapur case accused Akshay Shinde on Monday was the "killing of justice", said Asim Sarode, lawyer for the two minor girls he allegedly sexually assaulted.
Shinde was killed near Mumbra Bypass around 6:15pm when he allegedly snatched the gun of a policeman while he was being ferried in a police vehicle as part of a probe into a case registered on the complaint of his former wife.
After he shot and injured an API, another personnel from the escort team fired at him, and he was declared dead by doctors at a nearby hospital.
"While representing the two minor girls, I noticed it was becoming uncomfortable for the local politics of the Thane district and even for the educational institution where Akshay Shinde was working. Shinde's death in such a manner is killing of justice," Sarode told a regional news channel.
"Now, the case of sexual assault of the two minor girls will get sidelined. The case of these two minor girls was becoming difficult for the educational institute, as it is affiliated with a certain political family. Such a practice would lower the confidence of people in police and the judiciary," he claimed.
Sarode said he will be filing a plea before the Bombay High Court demanding thorough inquiry into the firing incident.
"Shinde's case could have brought up certain aspects that would have been negative politically for the government. I wonder how Shinde could access the gun and how he could unlock it when his hands were tied. This is political murder and is absolutely wrong," he said.
