‘Didn’t Pinarayi invite it?’ Chief Minister hints at probe into monthly pay-off case

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V D Satheesan has indicated that the government will proceed with an investigation into the CMRL-Exalogic transactions. He made the remarks at a meeting of KPCC office-bearers and DCC presidents on Thursday.

Some office-bearers cautioned against allowing the government to become a tool in the hands of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), recalling the agency’s actions against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi. In response, Satheesan asked, “Didn’t Pinarayi invite all this upon himself?”

Satheesan said the ED had recommended an investigation based on undeniable evidence and supporting documents. He pointed out that if the government failed to take action, someone could approach the court. He also questioned whether the government could simply ignore the documents submitted along with the ED’s recommendation.

Although several people are identified only by their initials in CMRL’s diary, Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter has been linked to the transactions through bank accounts, Satheesan said. He acknowledged that the injustice faced by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi at the hands of the ED could not be forgotten and that the BJP was on the other side. However, he questioned how the government could ignore the evidence.

Praise for Operation Toofan

All the members who attended the meeting unanimously praised the activities of the Home Department, including Operation Toofan. At the same time, the government came in for criticism over the power crisis. Most members pointed out that frequent power cuts were causing resentment among the public. Some leaders said the government’s image, which had benefited from popular initiatives such as the Priyadarshini project and efforts to control price rises during Onam, was being damaged by the power crisis.

Minister Sunny Joseph responded that the current crisis was not due to any failure of the present government, but was the result of certain decisions taken by the previous government.

Response to criticism over PM SHRI

Mathew Kuzhalnadan, Deepthi Mary Varghese and P M Niyas were among those who questioned the decision to proceed with the PM SHRI scheme. They asked whether the decision to move ahead with the scheme after making it a major campaign issue during the election would create confusion among party workers.

Satheesan rejected the criticism. He said it was amusing to claim that the UDF came to power because of its campaign against the PM SHRI scheme.

He said the people brought the UDF to power because of the “hellish” experience under the previous LDF government. If the state did not proceed with the scheme, the Centre would withhold its benefits, he said. Other Congress-ruled states were implementing the scheme as well.

Satheesan said the government could not withdraw once it had signed the agreement. He said efforts were being made to implement the scheme after examining the report of the subcommittee appointed by the government, while ensuring that the government would decide the curriculum and the schools where the scheme would be implemented.

Congress to get control of most boards and corporations

Chief Minister V D Satheesan informed the KPCC office-bearers’ meeting that the Congress would get control of most boards and corporations. He said discussions with alliance partners on the division of boards and corporations were progressing. Some leaders complained that the Chief Minister and ministers were not giving enough attention to ordinary party workers and should become more accessible. They said many ministers did not answer phone calls and that district leadership was sometimes unaware of programmes attended by ministers. Satheesan assured them that better communication would be ensured in this regard.

Some leaders also pointed out that not all Congress ministers had attended the meeting for its entire duration. The Chief Minister, ministers A P Anil Kumar and Sunny Joseph, KPCC leaders K A Thulasi, P C Vishnunath and T Siddique were among those who remained for most of the meeting. UDF convenor Adoor Prakash also attended.

A majority of the office-bearers demanded strong action against Chirayinkeezhu MLA Ramya Haridas, whose actions had brought embarrassment to the party. Some also called for speeding up the KPCC reorganisation process. The meeting began at 10.30 am and concluded around 1 pm.

Deepa Dasmunsi upset

Meanwhile, it is learnt that AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala, Deepa Dasmunsi, was not invited to Thursday’s meeting. She is also said to have expressed her displeasure to some party leaders.