Chandy, Chennithala get flak for failing pest test

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Top Congress leaders came under attack from party functionaries on Saturday for allowing Chief Minister Mr V.S. Achuthananadan to steal the thunder over the endosulfan issue.

Both Opposition leader Mr Oommen Chandy and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Mr Ramesh Chennithala were pilloried at a KPCC executive committee meeting held in Kochi for failing to counter Mr Achuthananadan’s scorching campaign against the Centre.

Prominent among the critics was former Speaker Mr V.M. Sudheeran, who pointed out that Mr Chandy and Mr Chennithala’s Delhi mission to speed up study on endosulfan failed to evoke a definite response from Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

The leaders had gone to Delhi in a bid to outsmart an all-party delegation led by health minister Ms P.K. Sreemathy, but returned empty-handed.

“Strangely, the Centre mellowed its stand against an endosulfan ban soon after,” said Mr Sudheeran.

Mr Benny Behnan, a confidante of Mr Chandy, said the party leadership could not effectively counter Mr Achuthanandan. “This was because of lack of a proactive strategy,” he said.