Protests escalate over denial of 'point-of-call' for Kannur airport

CPM, Cong accuse BJP of political discrimination in denying status even 6 yrs after opening

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @Kannur

POLITICAL parties and expatriate groups have intensified their protests demanding point-of-call status for the Kannur International Airport (KIAL). Both the CPM and the Congress have accused the BJP of political discrimination in denying Kannur airport the status even six years after its inauguration.

The protests gained momentum after the Union government reiterated its stand that point-of-call status would be granted only to metro cities, disqualifying Kannur. On Monday, the CPM, led by state secretary M V Govindan, organised a protest march towards the airport.

"Around 20 foreign companies have expressed interest to start services from Kannur airport. The only step remaining is Centre's permission. All the companies that contacted KIAL for services are running in profit," Govindan said.