‘Crime’ editor T P Nandakumar on Wednesday claimed that Chief Ministe Oommen Chandy had asked him to hold talks with the striking nurses and the management of the Mar Baselios Medical Mission Hospital, Kothamangalam, during the recent strike.
Nandakumar also claimed at a news conference here that it was on his direction that Chief Whip P C George had arrived for talks with both the parties. Nandakumar said that hospital manager Shibu Kuriakose and Labour Minister Shibu Baby John should be taken to task for precipitating the situation following the stir. “I was actively behind attempts to solve the issue after the Chief Minister extended support to me in holding discussions. I had conducted two meetings and was present at the meeting held at the Aluva Palace on Sunday,” he said.
Meanwhile, hospital manager Shibu Kuriakose admitted at another press conference that Nandakumar was present in the discussions.” I was under the impression that he was representing the government,” he said. Distancing himself from Nandakumar, Shibu said that he was not connected with Nandakumar in any manner.
However, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that Nandakumar had telephoned him and informed about the stir.
“I asked him to hand over the phone to the leader of the agitating students. I promised the leader that the government would intervene in the matter immediately and subsequently asked the District Collector to do so.
I also directed Labour Minister Shibu Baby John to intervene. Meanwhile, Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan contacted me and asked me to settle the stir. When he was told about the initiatives taken by the government including the Labour Minister’s direct intervention, the Opposition leader was convinced. A settlement was also reached but matters took a bad turn after some local developments,” Chandy told Express.
“I cannot obstruct anyone calling me. But I’ve not made Nandakumar or P C George my emissary to hold talks with anyone”, Chandy said emphatically.
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