News Reading Practice #69

(100 Day Challenge)

SOLAR SCAM RETURNS TO HAUNT LDF, UDF COALITIONS IN KERALA 

Controversy over which alliance blinked first in the political stalemate over the demand for Oommen Chandy's resignation as CM in 2013 

G. Anand
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM 

The solar scam that rattled the Oommen Chandy government in 2013 and continued to make waves for years resurfaced on Friday to bedevil Kerala's ruling front and the Opposition alike. 

A retired journalist salvaged the controversy from political oblivion by suggesting in an article that the Left Democratic Front's mammoth siege of the government Secretariat in August 2013 demanding Chandy's resignation was political charade. 

The journalist, John Mundakayam, claimed that political deal-making and behind-the- scenes manoeuvring preceded the protest, which saw Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers, with little access to basic facilities, squatting on the road and sleeping rough around the Secretariat for nearly a day. 

The LDF called off the "indefinite siege" and dropped its demand for Chandy's resignation after the Congress-led United Democratic Front government agreed to institute a judicial inquiry into the scam and bring the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) under the probe's ambit. 

Leading political players privy to the 2013 events conceded on Friday that both sides had met halfway to break the deadlock. However, they vehemently disagreed on which side. blinked first. 

According to the then-Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Cherian Philip, then with the LDF, and CPI(M) leader John Brittas, MP, set the negotiations in motion at the LDF's instance. He said the LDF yielded ground by dropping its demand for Chandy's resignation. 

At a press conference in Kannur, Mr. Brittas claimed that Mr. Radhakrishnan had initiated the negotiations. He said the UDF had no recourse but to agree to a judicial probe covering the CMO. 

Mr. Philip, now back with the Congress, said CPI (M) leaders were sceptical about indefinitely besieging the Secretariat but had bowed to the then-Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan's pressure. Mr. Philip said Mr. Radhakrishnan was eager to stave off the LDF's demand for Chandy's resignation and avoid a law-and-order situation under his watch. 

Bharatiya Janata Party State president K. Surendran portrayed the controversy as another example of the opposing fronts' symbiotic relationship and politics of compromise. He said the CPI(M) called off the solar protests as a quid pro quo for the Congress' help in diluting the Revolutionary Marxist Party leader T.P. Chandrasekharan murder case probe. He said the BJP was the real Opposition in Kerala.

V.S. Achuthanandan leading the protest in 2013 demanding resignation of the then-Kerala CM Oommen Chandy.

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HAUNT - Persistently trouble or disturb. (à´µേà´Ÿ്à´Ÿà´¯ാà´Ÿുà´•)

COALITION - Temporary alliance or partnership. (à´•ൂà´Ÿ്à´Ÿുമന്à´¤്à´°ിസഭ)

STALEMATE - A complete failure to reach agreement or settle an argument (à´¸്à´¤ംà´­à´¨ാവസ്à´¥)

RATTLE - To disturb or upset greatly (à´ªിà´Ÿിà´š്à´šുà´•ുà´²ുà´•്à´•ുà´•, അസഹ്യപ്à´ªെà´Ÿുà´¤്à´¤ുà´•)

RESURFACE - To appear again or come back into attention (à´µീà´£്à´Ÿും സജീവമാà´µുà´•, à´®ിà´¨ുà´•്à´•ിà´¯െà´Ÿുà´•്à´•ുà´•, à´µീà´£്à´Ÿും à´ªൊà´¨്à´¤ിവരുà´•)

BEDEVIL - To cause great trouble or difficulty (à´•ുà´´à´ª്പത്à´¤ിà´²ാà´•്à´•ുà´•)

SALVAGED - Rescued or saved (à´µീà´£്à´Ÿെà´Ÿുà´•്à´•ുà´•, à´¤ിà´°ിà´•െà´•ൊà´£്à´Ÿുവരിà´•)

MAMMOTH - Enormous or huge (വലിà´¯, à´¬്രഹത്à´¤ാà´¯)

SIEGE - A prolonged effort to overcome resistance or control a situation (ഉപരോà´§ം, വളയല്‍)

CHARADE - An absurd pretense intended to create a pleasant or respectable appearance (കപടനാà´Ÿ്à´¯ം, പരിà´¹ാà´¸്യമാà´¯ à´…à´­ിനയം)

MANEUVER - Skillful or strategic movements (തന്à´¤്à´°ം)

PRECEDED - Came before in time or order (à´®ുà´¨്à´¨ോà´Ÿിà´¯ാà´¯ി ഉണ്à´Ÿാà´µുà´•)

SQUAT - To crouch or sit on one's heels (à´•ുà´¤്à´¤ിà´¯ിà´°ിà´•്à´•ുà´•)

CALLED OFF - Cancelled or terminated (റദ്à´¦ാà´•്à´•ുà´•, à´µേà´£്à´Ÿെà´¨്à´¨് à´µെà´•്à´•ുà´•)

INDEFINITE SIEGE - A prolonged blockade or encirclement without a set end (à´…à´¨ിà´¶്à´šിതകാà´² ഉപരോà´§ം)

DROPPED - Abandoned or relinquished (ഉപേà´•്à´·ിà´š്à´šു)

INSTITUTE - To establish or begin (ആരംà´­ിà´•്à´•ുà´•)

PROBE - An investigation or inquiry (à´…à´¨്à´µേà´·à´£ം)

PRIVY TO - Informed about or knowledgeable of (രഹസ്à´¯ം à´…à´±ിà´¯ുà´¨്à´¨)

CONCEDE - To admit or yield (സമ്മതിà´•്à´•ുà´•)

MEET THE TROUBLE HALFWAY - Find a compromise solution (à´°à´®്യതയിà´²െà´¤്à´¤ുà´•)

DEADLOCK - A situation in which no progress can be made (à´•ീà´±ാà´®ുà´Ÿ്à´Ÿി, തടസ്à´¸ം)

VEHEMENTLY - Passionately or forcefully (ശക്തമാà´¯)

INSTANCE - An example or occurrence (à´ª്à´°à´°à´£, à´®ാà´¤ൃà´•)

INITIATE - To begin or start (à´¤ുà´Ÿà´•്à´•ം à´•ുà´±ിà´•്à´•ുà´•)

RECOURSE - A source of help or solution (à´…à´­à´¯ം, ആശ്à´°à´¯ം)

BOWED TO - Yielded or submitted to (വഴങ്à´™ി)

EAGER TO - Very willing or enthusiastic (à´µ്യഗ്രതയുà´³്à´³, ആകാംà´•്à´·à´¯ുà´³്à´³)

STAVE OFF - To prevent or avoid (à´…à´•à´±്à´±ുà´•, à´’à´´ിà´µാà´•്à´•ുà´•)

LAW-AND-ORDER - The maintenance of peace and obedience to law (à´•്രമസമാà´§ാà´¨ം)

PORTRAY - Represented or depicted (à´šിà´¤്à´°ീà´•à´°ിà´•്à´•ുà´•)

CONTROVERSY - A dispute or disagreement (à´µിà´µാà´¦ം)

SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP - A mutually beneficial partnership (സഹവര്‍à´¤്à´¤ിà´¤്à´µ ബന്à´§ം)

QUID PRO QUO - A favor granted in return for something (പകരത്à´¤ിà´¨്പകരം നല്‍à´•ുà´¨്നത്, à´’à´¨്à´¨ിà´¨് പകരം മറ്à´±ൊà´¨്à´¨്)

DILUTE - To weaken or reduce in strength (à´¨േà´°്‍à´ª്à´ªിà´•്à´•ുà´•)

PROBE - An investigation or inquiry (à´…à´¨്à´µേà´·à´£ം)

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