The position of Kerala’s Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Thursday became extremely untenable after the Special Vigilance Court in Thrissur ordered a probe against him and Power Minister Aryadan Muhammad. It ordered an FIR that was lodged on the basis of the charges levelled by solar scam-accused Saritha S Nair against both of them.
The CPI(M)-led Opposition lDF and the BJP demanded his immediate resignation. But unfazed
with the prospect of becoming an accused in the solar scam case, Chandy asserted, “Why should I resignIJ”
Chandy has decided to appeal to the Kerala High
Court against the Thrissur court’s order hoping to get a stay so that resignation could be avoided.
The national and State Congress leaderships too backed Chandy and ruled out his resignation even as stiff protests erupted against the CM across Kerala.
Even as Chandy was using stage after stage in Malappuram district to describe
Saritha’s allegations against him as lies, Enquiry Commissioner and Special Judge SS Vassan ordered registration of an FIR against him, Aryadan and five others saying that extraordinary orders could come on extraordinary occasions and that all were equal before law.
Acting upon a private complaint, the judge instructed the Vigilance Director to submit a probe report before April 11. K Babu, Chandy’s confidant, had resigned as Excise Minister on January 23 on “moral grounds” after the same court ordered registration of an FIR against him over the charge that he had taken bribe from the State’s bar owners.
“We demand that Chief Minister Chandy should resign,” said senior BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry, in New Delhi.
“The Congress should be speaking out rather than asking for a report on the matter and summoning the Chief Minister…” she added.
Defending Chandy, Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said there was no need for Chandy to resign. “He has already denied the charges… We will accept the report of the judicial panel looking into the matter whatever it is. A detailed report will be submitted to the Congress’ central leadership in this regard (by the State unit),” he said in New Delhi.
The lDF stepped up its campaign demanding Chandy’s resignation on Thursday with leaders issuing strongly worded statements and workers protesting on the streets. Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan and State CPI(M) secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan demanded his resignation even as the former gave notice for breach of privilege against Chandy.
Storms of protests demanding Chandy’s resignation were witnessed across the State on Thursday, often generating a feeling that the situation might lead to law and order problems. Malappuram, where Chandy had to attend several programmes, Kozhikode and State capital Thiruvananthapuram saw the most intense protests.
Asked if he would follow the example of Babu by resigning on moral grounds, Chandy said, “We are ready to face any probe. My conscience is clear. Conscience is far above the moral factor.” At the same time, several State Congress leaders went on a campaign against the Vigilance judge saying that his political loyalties had to be examined.
On Thursday afternoon, a single-judge Bench of the Kerala High Court passed an order staying the Vigilance Court’s order against Babu for two months which the Congress leadership viewed as a possible escape route for Chandy. Babu maintained that he would not withdraw his resignation though Chandy was yet to forward his resignation to the Governor.
The Congress leadership and the State’s official legal machinery were now hoping that Chandy might be able to earn a stay on the Thrissur court’s order like in the case of Babu which could be used to confront the opponents at least for the time being. Sources in the State Advocate General’s office indicated that an appeal could be filed in the High Court on Friday.
Chandy, who faced protests all over Malappuram district, cancelled his official programmes there on Thursday and rushed to Kochi to discuss the matter of appealing to the High Court against the Thrissur court’s order with Advocate General KP Dandapani, Director General of Prosecutions T Asifali and other legal experts.