Sreedharan Pillai reiterates he held talks

KOZHIKODE:  BJP leader P S Sreedharan Pillai has reiterated that he held discussions with the Muslim League leadership during the Marad violence.Speaking at a Ramadan lecture series of Rahmathullah Qasmi at Arayidathupalam here on Sunday, Pillai said, “Panakkad Thangal is a man of virtue and that is why I decided to talk to him. Unwanted issues are created over this meeting and I am put on the dock causing embarrassment,” he added.He further said that he had also held discussions with the League leadership during the Naduvattom firing incident to avoid the spread of communal violence in the district. The discussions with Thangal were one of the good things he had done in his life, said Sreedharan Pillai. The revelations of Sreedharan Pillai have already created political hiccups in the BJP.Later, at a press conference here, he denied his earlier statement that he had held discussions with Panakkad Thangal over the Naduvattom firing incident and said the statement was misquoted. He also said that he did not think the Sangh Parivar and the party leadership were working against him.