CPM has a history of handling political rivals: MM Mani 2012 Thodupuzha: CPM Idukki district secretary MM Mani said that CPM has a history of handling political rivals. Those to be killed will be killed again, Mani said. The party eradicated Balan who had killed party worker Ayyappa Das at Peerumedu. We killed those who rebelled against the party at Shanthan Para in Idukki as well. And, that will be done in future too,' Mani said  He was speaking in public meeting in Thodupuzha here on Saturday. He said if the party men had killed some one, the party would accept that. However, Mani refused party workers having any connection with the murder of CPI-M rebel T P Chandrasekharan on May 4. Mani said that the murder case of TP Chandrasekharan is not the first such case happening in Kerala.  He criticized VS Achuthanandan for calling TP a genuine communist and also hit out at V S for attending the funeral Chandrasekharan. Mani added that those who rebel against the party can never be genuine communists

CPM has a history of handling political rivals: MM Mani 2012 Thodupuzha: CPM Idukki district secretary MM Mani said that CPM has a history of handling political rivals. Those to be killed will be killed again, Mani said. The party eradicated Balan who had killed party worker Ayyappa Das at Peerumedu. We killed those who rebelled against the party at Shanthan Para in Idukki as well. And, that will be done in future too,' Mani said  He was speaking in public meeting in Thodupuzha here on Saturday. He said if the party men had killed some one, the party would accept that. However, Mani refused party workers having any connection with the murder of CPI-M rebel T P Chandrasekharan on May 4. Mani said that the murder case of TP Chandrasekharan is not the first such case happening in Kerala.  He criticized VS Achuthanandan for calling TP a genuine communist and also hit out at V S for attending the funeral Chandrasekharan. Mani added that those who rebel against the party can never be genuine communists

Mani's speech a deviation from party's political line: Pinarayi

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI-M in Kerala today virtually censured its Idukki district secretary M M Mani for his controversial speech in which he stated that there had been instances of the party eliminating political rivals. As the party is faced with deep embarrassment over Mani's utterances at a public meeting, at the press meet held at the AKG centre, CPI-M state Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said Mani had committed a 'mistake' and his speech was a 'deviation' from the party's political line. 

Addressing reporters here, Vijayan made a strong call to party cadres, leaders and functionaries to refrain from making controversial statements at a time when the party was under a grim attack from its enemies.

Vijayan said the party had grown over the years resisting attacks from various quarters, but countering violence with violence was not the policy of CPI-M.

Congress-led UDF Government had taken note of Mani's speech. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said this 'disclosure'
was a serious matter and legal steps would be taken on it. 

Mani, a senior leader in the high-range Idukki district and known to be close to Vijayan, made his controversial
speech at a public meeting held at Thodupuzha on Friday.

He also made some adverse comments on Achuthanandan in his speech, alluding to the factional feud in the state unit
of the party which has recently intensified. PTI

Mani's speech a deviation from party's political line: Pinarayi

Thiruvananthapuram: CPI-M in Kerala today virtually censured its Idukki district secretary M M Mani for his controversial speech in which he stated that there had been instances of the party eliminating political rivals. As the party is faced with deep embarrassment over Mani's utterances at a public meeting, at the press meet held at the AKG centre, CPI-M state Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said Mani had committed a 'mistake' and his speech was a 'deviation' from the party's political line. 

Addressing reporters here, Vijayan made a strong call to party cadres, leaders and functionaries to refrain from making controversial statements at a time when the party was under a grim attack from its enemies.

Vijayan said the party had grown over the years resisting attacks from various quarters, but countering violence with violence was not the policy of CPI-M.

Congress-led UDF Government had taken note of Mani's speech. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said this 'disclosure'
was a serious matter and legal steps would be taken on it. 

Mani, a senior leader in the high-range Idukki district and known to be close to Vijayan, made his controversial
speech at a public meeting held at Thodupuzha on Friday.

He also made some adverse comments on Achuthanandan in his speech, alluding to the factional feud in the state unit
of the party which has recently intensified. PTI

12 killed in cuicied attack on Yemen Shiite rebels

A suicide attacker drove his bomb-laden vehicle into a post held by Shiite Zaidi rebels in Yemen's northern Al-Jawf province, killing 12 people on Friday, a tribal chief and witnesses said.

12 killed in cuicied attack on Yemen Shiite rebels

A suicide attacker drove his bomb-laden vehicle into a post held by Shiite Zaidi rebels in Yemen's northern Al-Jawf province, killing 12 people on Friday, a tribal chief and witnesses said.

Kerala   Kerala bans gutka, paan masala Thiruvananthapuram: Citing increasing incidence of diseases like oral cancer, the Congress-led UDF Government in Kerala today announced a ban on the manufacture and sale of gutka and pan masala containing tobacco in the state with immediate effect. Announcing the decision at a press conference here, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the ban on gutka and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine was enforced under the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act, 2011. Kerala is the second state to ban the use of gutka and pan masala after Madhya Pradesh. The increasing incidence of gutka-induced diseases like oral cancer had prompted the government to ban the products, Chandy said adding the Commissioner of Food Safety (Kerala) had issued the notification banning these products on May 22. The government would strictly enforce the ban and take strong action in case of any violation, he said. Chandy said he had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singhseeking a total ban on these products in the country. However,  the Centre had replied last month that the states had the jurisdiction to ban gutka and pan masala under the Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act, 2011. The notification issued by the Commissioner prohibits the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of these products that contain tobacco and nicotine, in whatsoever name it is available in the market today. PTI

Kerala   Kerala bans gutka, paan masala Thiruvananthapuram: Citing increasing incidence of diseases like oral cancer, the Congress-led UDF Government in Kerala today announced a ban on the manufacture and sale of gutka and pan masala containing tobacco in the state with immediate effect. Announcing the decision at a press conference here, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the ban on gutka and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine was enforced under the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act, 2011. Kerala is the second state to ban the use of gutka and pan masala after Madhya Pradesh. The increasing incidence of gutka-induced diseases like oral cancer had prompted the government to ban the products, Chandy said adding the Commissioner of Food Safety (Kerala) had issued the notification banning these products on May 22. The government would strictly enforce the ban and take strong action in case of any violation, he said. Chandy said he had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singhseeking a total ban on these products in the country. However,  the Centre had replied last month that the states had the jurisdiction to ban gutka and pan masala under the Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act, 2011. The notification issued by the Commissioner prohibits the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of these products that contain tobacco and nicotine, in whatsoever name it is available in the market today. PTI

Government stands by on petrol hike, allies protest

New Delhi: The government Friday refused to immediately rollback the sharply hiked petrol prices but promised to take a definitive view soon under pressure from the opposition and even allies.
With the Trinamool Congress and DMK, which are in the government, and the friendly Samajwadi Party seething with anger, Petroleum Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said the government was 'conscious of a sense of disturbance among consumers after the petrol price hike'. 
'All political parties including my own party (Congress) are populist... (but) we cannot run the country on populist sentiments,' the minister told the media after cutting short his visit to Turkmenistan.
'I will come back to you with a definitive view in a few days,' he added.
Reddy's comments, two days after state-run oil companies hiked petrol prices by an unprecedented Rs.7.54 a litre, failed to dampen the anger in the opposition and allied ranks as well as the middle class.
In Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee took the unprecedented decision of leading a procession of supporters Saturday demanding a rollback.
This is the third hike in petrol prices in a year.
On Thursday, thousands of Trinamool activists marched through Kolkata, the protest led by Railway Minister Mukul Roy.
Another key ally, the DMK, has vowed to hold protests in Tamil Nadu May 30. The Samajwadi Party, which gives legislative support to the government, has called for a strike in Uttar Pradesh May 31.
The Samajwadi protest will coincide with a day-long all-India shutdown called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Left parties and Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal. 
Sensing the national mood, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said Friday: 'The petrol price hike has burdened the common man. We hope the government will find a way to reduce this burden.
'It was not a political decision,' he added.
Reddy, who discussed the issue with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, said he would consult state governments to explore if taxes could be cut to reduce the petrol price.

He insisted that the decision to hike the price was taken by the oil marketing companies and the government was not involved in it.
Reddy blamed global developments for the problems in the oil sector. 'This is a national problem created by global developments.'
He said the oil sector in India was confronting a double disaster: a sharp decline in the value of the rupee and rise in crude oil prices in the international market. 
The rupee hit a record low of 56.40 against a dollar this week. It has depreciated by almost 12 per cent since the beginning of this financial year 

Government stands by on petrol hike, allies protest

New Delhi: The government Friday refused to immediately rollback the sharply hiked petrol prices but promised to take a definitive view soon under pressure from the opposition and even allies.
With the Trinamool Congress and DMK, which are in the government, and the friendly Samajwadi Party seething with anger, Petroleum Minister S. Jaipal Reddy said the government was 'conscious of a sense of disturbance among consumers after the petrol price hike'. 
'All political parties including my own party (Congress) are populist... (but) we cannot run the country on populist sentiments,' the minister told the media after cutting short his visit to Turkmenistan.
'I will come back to you with a definitive view in a few days,' he added.
Reddy's comments, two days after state-run oil companies hiked petrol prices by an unprecedented Rs.7.54 a litre, failed to dampen the anger in the opposition and allied ranks as well as the middle class.
In Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee took the unprecedented decision of leading a procession of supporters Saturday demanding a rollback.
This is the third hike in petrol prices in a year.
On Thursday, thousands of Trinamool activists marched through Kolkata, the protest led by Railway Minister Mukul Roy.
Another key ally, the DMK, has vowed to hold protests in Tamil Nadu May 30. The Samajwadi Party, which gives legislative support to the government, has called for a strike in Uttar Pradesh May 31.
The Samajwadi protest will coincide with a day-long all-India shutdown called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Left parties and Odisha's ruling Biju Janata Dal. 
Sensing the national mood, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said Friday: 'The petrol price hike has burdened the common man. We hope the government will find a way to reduce this burden.
'It was not a political decision,' he added.
Reddy, who discussed the issue with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, said he would consult state governments to explore if taxes could be cut to reduce the petrol price.

He insisted that the decision to hike the price was taken by the oil marketing companies and the government was not involved in it.
Reddy blamed global developments for the problems in the oil sector. 'This is a national problem created by global developments.'
He said the oil sector in India was confronting a double disaster: a sharp decline in the value of the rupee and rise in crude oil prices in the international market. 
The rupee hit a record low of 56.40 against a dollar this week. It has depreciated by almost 12 per cent since the beginning of this financial year