V S Achuthandnan slams Sonia Gandhi's barbs at Communists

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPI(M) stalwart and Kerala Opposition Leader V S Achuthandnan has slammed the critical comments made by AICC president Sonia Gandhi against the Left during her visit to the state a few days back.

Referring to Gandhi's charge that Communists only shed tears for the poor but had done nothing to uplift them, he said, "Such statements only betrayed the Congress president's ignorance of the history of Kerala."

"It was unbecoming of a person occupying a position of AICC president to have made such irresponsible remarks. Gandhi should clarify based on what documents or sources she had made such sweeping comments," Achuthanandan said in a statement today.

A pioneer of the Left movement in Kerala, the nonagenarian leader said the Communists were responsible for ushering in radical legislations like land reforms and education bill. It was these legislations that brought about a fundamental change to the Kerala society and laid the foundation for what came to be known as the "Kerala model" of development, he said.

While addressing a Congress convention at Kochi on Saturday, Gandhi had said the Left only talks about the poor but had done little to improve their lot. She also accused the Left of opposing some pro-poor measures initiated by the UPA Government.