Cherian Philip

The issue reportedly arose after Mammootty expressed displeasure with CPM’s Wayanad district secretary K Rafeeq standing close to him during the actor’s personal visit to the township on Saturday. According to reports, Mammootty, often considered a fellow traveller of the Marxist party, asked Rafeeq why he was standing near him and remarked that people might assume he had come there on behalf of the ruling party.

Ending his 20-year-old stint with CPM, Cherian Philip rejoined Congress by terming that “there is no inner party democracy in the CPM”.

Cherian Philip is likely to announce his new political decision on Friday. There are speculations that he will be rejoining the Congress party, which he had left in 2001.

Kerala Tourism Development Corporation has called a meeting of its sales agents here on Oct 19 to discuss strategies to attract tourists following the recent Thekkady Boat tragedy that claimed 45 lives.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Congressman Cherian Philip demanded a probe into the allegations levelled by two KPCC general secretaries against electricity minister K Muraleedharan.

The Kerala government is in the process of formulating steps to attract Rs 1000 crore investments in the tourism sector.

Amid fears that tourist arrivals to the state would be less due to global recession,the tourism season in Kerala began with the arrival of the first batch of tourists from the UK.

In a blatantly sexist remark which he sought to subsequently dress up as a comment on Congress culture, former Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee secretary Cherian Philip, currently a CPM fellow traveller, said in a Facebook comment on Sunday that "several women have disrobed themselves in secret and won seats in the Congress in the past."

Kerala Tourism Development Corporation sought to probe whether there was any corruption in the purchase of the "Jalakanyaka" boat that capsized in Thekkady lake claiming 45 lives on September 30.

An expert report on the Thekkady tragedy has pointed to flaws in the design of the ill-fated boat. The report has been prepared by Pyarelal, an expert at the Cochin University of Science and Technology.

In a ruling that might result in closure of roadside eateries along the national highway, the Kerala High Court has held that prior permission from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is required for such businesses.

In a ruling that might result in closure of roadside eateries along the national highway, the Kerala high court has held that prior permission from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is required for such businesses.

The Thekkady mishap in which 45 tourists died could have been averted had the boat, which had "serious structural defects", been tested for its "water worthiness", a forensic probe has revealed.