Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has accused the Pinarayi Vijayan government of indulging in political corruption by allowing Transport Minister Thomas Chandy to continue in the Cabinet in spite of the Revenue department indicting him in grabbing government land for his resort in Alappuzha.
At a news conference in Kozhikode on Tuesday that the Congress leader also wondered what privilege the Minister had in the government as the Chief Minister had shown no remorse to sack his party colleague E. P. Jayarajan when he was caught in a similar predicament. “ Mr. Vijayan should explain this special right Mr. Chandy enjoyed in the Cabinet, ” he said.
Seeking the immediate ouster of the tainted Minister, Mr. Chennithala said that it was shameful that the CPI (M)-led LDF government continued to tolerate him even as a district Collector had clearly pointed out the violation of the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act and encroachment of government land. When UDF was in power, the CPI (M) had vehemently demanded the expulsions of K.M. Mani and K. Babu from the Ministry when a quick verification had been ordered by the Vigilance Court against them. It was a mystery that the party had made a U- turn in its policy when it assumed power. And for the first time, a Minister had also filed a case against the Collector, he said.
On the ongoing agitation against the laying of the GAIL pipelines, he said that the Congress- led United Democratic Front (UDF) did not oppose the State-owned gas utility project in the State. However the UDF would not remain mute spectators to the human rights violation against ordinary people in the name of implementing the multi-crore project. “ The police went on a rampage without any justification at Mukkom last week. The government should immediately withdraw all cases registered against innocents. Issues such as changing the alignment of the pipeline route, rehabilitation and compensation packages, and safety aspects should be resolved, ” he said.