Thousands pledge solidarity with VS

Apr 26, 2011 |

Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram

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Social activists, actors, writers and religious heads pledged solidarity with Chief Minister Mr V.S. Achuthanandan, who fasted for seven hours at Martyrs Column here on Monday, demanding a countrywide ban on endosulfan.

The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front kept away, alleging Mr Achuthanandan played politics, trying to turn the ire against the Centre for not imposing a blanket ban on the dreaded pesticide. However, BJP joined the protest.

Some 500 people have died in the 11 worst-hit panchayats under Kasargod where Plantation Corporation of Kerala had carried out aerial spraying of endosulfan from 1976 to 2000.

Mr Achuthanandan, 87, found LDF, minus Congress (S), rallying behind him in all 14 districts as he fasted, along with poet Sugathakumari, the Malankara Metropolitan, Archbishop Mar Cleemis, and Archbishop Soosa Pakiam.

Mr Achuthanandan blamed Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for listening to wrong advice given by his Cabinet colleagues.

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