Though he has to stand trial with five other MLAs for the 2015 ruckus in the Legislative Assembly, Kerala’s Minister for Education K Sivankutty said that there was no need for him to resign.
Speaking to TV channel news reporters after the pronouncement of the Supreme Court verdict on Wednesday which dismissed the Kerala Government’s plea to withdraw the case filed against the six party MLAs for the vandalism in the Assembly, Sivankutty said that such verdicts were common for those involved in public life. “This is not a corruption case and hence there is no need for me to resign as Minister,” said Sivankutty.
A Vijayaraghavan, CPI(M)’s Kerala secretary said the party would discuss the details of the verdict with its partners in the LDF before making any public announcement. “Let us go through the court verdict before coming to a conclusion,” said Vijayaraghavan.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheeshan said that it was not proper for Sivankutty to continue as minister despite the verdict by the Supreme Court. “He should quit immediately in the backdrop of the apex court verdict,” said Satheeshan.
P C George, seven term MLA and leader of Janapaksham, came down heavily on Sivankutty and the five CPI(M) MLAs for the vandalism inside the House. “Having seen their antecedents from close quarters on that day, I am of the opinion that Sivankutty should resign immediately. What he did on that fateful day was a blot on Kerala’s democratic history,” said George.