Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition Leader Oommen
Chandy Tuesday said he would `legally and morally` fight the
recent attempts by the LDF government to implicate him in the
palmolein import graft case.
"I will fight it legally and morally. The case is 20 years
old and so far I was not named anywhere as an accused. They
may do it now if they want, but should first explain to the
people why I was not linked to the case in the last 20 years,"
Chandy said, addressing a meet-the-press programme here.
He evaded a direct answer to a question whether he would
contest the polls if the Court decided in favour of the
government`s appeal to reopen the case for further
investigation on the ground that some more persons were likely
to become accused in the case.
The Vigilance Court here had yesterday reserved to March
14 orders on the state government`s plea to reinvestigate the
case, relating to alleged corruption in importing pamolein
from Malaysia, causing a loss of Rs 2.32 crore in 1991-92 when
late Congress leader K Karunarakan was Chief Minister.
The move was seen as an attempt to implicate Chandy, who
was Finance minister in the K Karunakaran ministry which
cleared the deal in 1992.
Asked about KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala`s statement
that he would contest if the party High Command directed him,
Chandy said majority in the party wanted him to contest.
Chandy said the UDF did not usually project anyone as
chief ministerial candidate before elections. "We have a
collective leadership and are approaching voters with a
programme," he said.
To a question, Chandy said the UDF was least bothered
about who was leading the Left Democratic Front. "We have a
Chief Minister who had broken all his promises. What is now
going on about his candidature is mere drama," he said.
Chandy alleged that with its ineptitude and negative
political stance, the LDF government had created an
administrative impasse in the state during the last five
years. The last budget of the LDF contained hollow promises
without specific allocations, he said.
He alleged that `negative politics` of LDF was responsible
for the delay in the implementation of major projects of the
state like the Vizhinjam port, Kochi metro rail and Smart
City. The state had also not co-operated with the Centre to
implement the schemes formulated by the latter, Chandy said.
PTI
