Congress, BJP attack CPI(M) for 'Madhani links'

With the wife of Peoples Democratic Party leader Abdul Nasser Madhani figuring as an accused in a bus burning case of 2005, Congress and BJP stepped up the attack on ruling CPI(M) in Kerala for entering into an "electoral tie-up" with PDP in the last Lok Sabha polls.   

Soofiya Madhani, wife of the PDP chief, was named as the accused in the case relating to torching of a Tamil Nadu transport corporation bus at Kalamassery near Kochi in 2005, protesting against detention of the PDP leader in connection with the Coimbatore blast case.

Suspected LeT operative T Nazir, who was arrested recently and brought to Kerala by Karnataka police for taking evidence in connection with the Bangalore blast case, is a key accused in the bus burning case.

While CPI(M) leaders continued to maintain that the party did not enter into any electoral tie-up with PDP though that party had offered support LDF, senior Congress leader Aryadan Muhammad alleged CPI(M)-PDP tie-up helped "dilute" the case against Soofiya Madani.

Kerala police was compelled to make Soofiya as an accused in the case based on Nazir's statement to the police, Muhammad told reporters in Malappuram.

Stoutly refuting the charge that the LDF government had been soft towards terrorists, state home minister and CPI(M) polit bureau member, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, said no leniency would be shown towards anbody having links with terrorists, however powerful they might be.