Kozhikode (Keralam), Oct 19 After Congress leaders, MLA and RMP leader K K Rema has expressed disappointment over the UDF government’s stand before the Kerala High Court in the CMRL payments case involving Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan and his family, saying it undermines the government’s stated position against corruption.
There has been a debate within the Congress over the state government’s initial decision to order a preliminary inquiry rather than register an FIR against Vijayan and his family in the alleged Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) payments case, following a request from the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The state government also maintained its position before the High Court’s single and division benches when the related matter came up for consideration.
Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan had openly expressed concern over the decision, drawing support from Kannur MP K Sudhakaran and other party leaders, including Jinto John.
In a Facebook post on Sunday night, a UDF-backed Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) MLA said the government’s initial decision to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to examine the evidence provided by the ED independently, rather than register a case solely on the central agency’s report, was politically justified.
However, she criticised the government’s position before the High Court division bench in the appeal filed by Vijayan against the single bench order directing registration of a corruption case and a Vigilance investigation.
“The position taken by the government lawyer was disappointing and undermined the UDF government’s stated stand against the serious corruption allegations of the previous government,” she said, expressing hope that the government would consider the criticism constructively.
Despite the government’s position favouring a preliminary inquiry, the High Court ordered the registration of a case against Vijayan, his daughter Veena T and son-in-law P A Muhammad Riyas, a CPI(M) MLA representing Beypore.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB) subsequently registered two FIRs in connection with the allegations.
Rema said the presence of a leader facing serious corruption allegations at the helm of the opposition was undermining the moral credibility of democratic politics.
“The opposition is as important as the ruling front, and perhaps even more important, in a democracy. It is expected to act as a corrective force against the government. However, those democratic expectations are being shattered here,” she said.
Alleging that Vijayan and his family were facing serious charges involving monthly payments, bribes and hawala transactions, Rema said opposition parties should take steps to restore the moral credibility of opposition politics.
She said the allegations surrounding payments from CMRL to Exalogic Solutions, a company owned by Vijayan’s daughter Veena, were not merely the result of an investigation allegedly driven by the Centre’s political interests.
The Income Tax Department’s Interim Settlement Board had found that the payments made by CMRL to Exalogic could not be treated as legitimate business transactions, she said, adding that the findings preceded the subsequent investigations by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office and the ED.
Rema also questioned the explanations offered by Vijayan and his family regarding alleged financial transactions, including details reportedly found in a red book containing information on hawala dealings.
She alleged that Vijayan and those facing the allegations were seeking legal remedies to prevent the registration of a case rather than addressing the charges through the legal process.
Rema also criticised the CPI(M)’s ongoing error-correction campaign, questioning the credibility of a process led by those facing serious allegations.
“The moral credibility of the Leader of the Opposition’s office is a matter concerning the democratic dignity of this state,” she said.
Rema said the issue was not about who should occupy the post of deputy opposition leader, but whether opposition parties were willing to remove a leader facing corruption allegations from the position of LoP.
Rema entered active politics after her husband, RMP leader T P Chandrasekharan, was hacked to death by assailants linked to the CPI(M) in 2012.
(PTI News)
