Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan rejects encroachment allegations against Left MP

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan today dismissed the Congress-led UDF Opposition's allegations of land encroachment against LDF independent MP, Joyce George, saying there were "politically motivated."

The UDF opposition was levelling "politically motivated" allegations against the Idukki MP, the Chief Minister said in the Assembly.

The MP was in the centre of a controversy last year after the Revenue officials had cancelled the original title deeds relating to about 20 acres of land in his possession and that of his family members in Idukki district as it was found to be issued on "improper grounds."

During the question hour, Vijayan said, "Joyce George had not encroached any land. This is the government stand." Earlier, Revenue Minister E Chandrasekharan had also maintained that the left independent MP was not involved in any land grab and the one in his possession and his relatives' were 'hereditary.'

The opposition raised the issue when the minister was detailing the steps taken by the government to evict illegal encroachments.Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala took objection to the comments made by Chandrasekharan and said the ownership dispute of the land of Joyce George was pending before the court.

It was not proper on part of the minister to make such a statement in favour of the left MP when the case was pending, he said.

As many as 1,477 cases of encroachment had been reported across the 14 districts of the state after the LDF government came to power.

Of this, 606 encroachments had been evicted, he added.