Solar strike row: Premachandran denies being intermediary, no liaison with UDF

Thiruvananthapuram: MP and RSP leader N.K Premachandran has denied the statement made by senior journalist John Mundakayam that he held talks with UDF leaders to reach a ‘compromise’ and end the secretariat strike carried out by the LDF in connection with the solar scam. Speaking at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram, Premachandran called Mundakayam’s revelations as completely ‘baseless’. There was no such task given by the LDF nor was he directly or indirectly involved in talks with the UDF, Premachandran added.

“I came to know that the strike ended while I was speaking to the protestors at the Secretariat. I was speaking with intense emotion how the strike would not be called off at any rate without the chief minister rendering his resignation at the south gate of the secretariat. That is when I received a note from the party office via AA Aziz who was the then RSP party secretary. The instruction contained in it was to reach the AKG centre immediately. By the time I got there, the decision to end the strike had almost been made. We got there when the others were sitting in front of the TV prepared to watch Oommen Chandy’s press conference,” he said.

“The then government had assured that a judicial inquiry will be announced. The decision to call off the strike was made based on the general consensus in the discussions held after the announcement of the judicial inquiry. It is quite unfortunate that my name was mentioned in John Mundakayam’s article. I did not have any liaison with the UDF leaders,” Premachandran added.

“I’m not sure if someone gave wrong information to John Mundakkayam. He had earlier mentioned that John Brittas invited him for a discussion. However, I have no understanding of this matter beyond this. The strike was a political victory. It played a major role in removing Oommen Chandy from power. It was reflected in the elections,” Premachandran opined. 

Veteran journalist John Mundakkayam has claimed that the high-voltage protest carried out by the CPM party at the Secretariat in connection with the Solar case in 2013 ended with a compromise deal with the intervention of MP John Brittas. In the write-up published in a Malayalam Weekly, Mundakyam had claimed that Premachandran was sent as a representative of the LDF to broker the compromise with UDF leaders.