Thiruvananthapuram: Congress led UDF Opposition
members in Kerala Assembly on Monday walked out of the House in
protest against Speaker K Radhakrishnan`s decision to reject a
discussion on an adjournment motion that Chief Minister VS
Achuthanandan, then LDF convener, had tried to influence a
judicial commission that looked into a liquor tragedy case in
2000.
Congress leader Arayadan Muhammed raised the issue based on a
letter written to CPI-M state leadership by P Sasi then
political secretary of chief minister EK Nayanar, complaining
that Achuthanandan had tried to influence Justice Mohankumar
Commission that looked into the Kalluvathukal liquor tragedy
for refusing to follow Achuthanandan`s direction in the case.
Replying to the notice for the motion, Achuthanandan
outrightly rejected the allegation and said it was an attempt
to divert the attention of people from the ice cream parlour
sex scandal allegedly involving IUML leader PK Kuhalikutty
that had resurfaced recently.
Achuthanadan said if any such attempts had been made,
Justice Mohan Kumar himself should have brought the matter to
the state government. “As nothing like that had happened, the
allegations are baseless,” Achuthanandan said.
Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also said that it was
an effort to tarnish the image of Achuthanandan who was waging
a relentless struggle against `sex mafia` in the state.
Balakrishnan also said that government had not come across
any such letters written by Sasi.
Muhammed wanted government to either register a case against
Achuthanandan for influencing a Judicial Commission or against
P Sasi, who was also former secretary of party`s Kannur
District Committee for levelling false charges.
After the reply of Achuthanandan and the Home Minister, the Speaker
refused leave for the motion following which Opposition walked
out of the House led by Congress deputy leader G Karthikeyan.
Though, Sasi was recently removed from the post of Kannur
district secretary on health grounds, there were allegations
against him that he had misbehaved with party functionaries.
The party had also appointed a two-member commission to look
into the allegations.
It was reported that Sasi, apparently angered over certain
sarcastic comments made by Achuthanandan the other day on his
health had written to party secretary Pinarayi Vijayan seeking
to relieve him of all his responsibilities in the party.
In the letter, Sasi had stated that Achuthanandan had been
nursing a personal grudge against him ever since he refused to
follow his directions on the Kalluvathukkal liquor tragedy
case that claimed 52 lives.
PTI
