Jo(u)lted by the power surge

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Assessing the Solar Commission report as a conspiracy by the CPM to humiliate and tarnish Opposition leaders at the instance of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the UDF has decided to expose 'CPM's political vendetta' in its campaign trail. The remaining course of  'Padayorukkam', after a break on Thursday allowing for the tabling of the Solar Commission report, is set to take the matter to the masses even as the UDF parliamentary party meeting came out strongly against the report. The meeting was followed by a session involving the front's top leaders.  

The parliamentary party meet concluded that the Solar Commission of Inquiry, Justice (rtd) G Sivarajan, had exceeded the terms of reference and fixed it on his own. The government is merely beating around the bush on the conclusions and findings in the report as it is legally weak to make  any substantial progress, the meet observed. A serious note was taken of information trickling down that the Chief Minister's office had tried to influence the framing of the report and that phone calls were made by Pinarayi Vijayan's private secretary M V Jayarajan while also drafting in a Home Department officer to meet the Solar judge at the latter's residence after the submission of the report.

Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala - accompanied by UDF leaders P K Kunhalikutty, M K Muneer, K C Joseph and Anoop Jacob - told reporters Justice Sivarajan had not applied his mind on how the words of a woman involved in 33 criminal cases and whose credibility has been questioned in court judgments could be believed.

''The woman's allegations are listed out in the report as such. She claims to have paid bribe, but  the fact remains she was declared bankrupt by the court a long time back. In her letters, she talks about sexual harassment at New Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram and elsewhere. But she hadn't submitted a single complaint anywhere with the police till date in that regard. The government's move to bank on her ever-changing statements will only boomerang,'' Chennithala said.

The meet reiterated the government moves against the UDF will be resisted both legally and politically. ''There is nothing in Justice Sivarajan's report. Once taken to the court, it will be thrown out from the precincts itself,'' he said.The UDF challenged the Chief Minister to move against the Opposition.
''The level the government has stooped to is evident by its attempt to slap a sex harassment case against a reputed and popular leader like former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. The CPM and Pinarayi Vijayan will soon become aware of how Kerala is going to react to it,'' he said.

Kunhalikutty ridiculed the government for repeatedly turning to a letter from the Solar con woman.
''There is nothing specific in the Solar Commission report based on the terms of reference. There is no loss to the state exchequer by acts of those accused of helping the woman. If making telephone calls or meeting women is an issue and cases are made out of  it, what will be the state of  affairs?" he asked.
Anoop Jacob said the Left Government is trying to deflect attention from the serious charge of land grabbing on a current minister by moving against the Opposition in the Solar issue.

Withstood many, but succumbed to one person on Solar issue: Chandy

T'Puram: Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy deviated from his usual style while addressing reporters today, with a disclosure that he had succumbed to blackmail by a person in the Solar scam. "Many persons tried to blackmail me in the solar scam but I withstood it. They offered to stand by me and said they would go to any extent, but I was not carried away. However, I yielded to one person. I regret that now," he said. However, he was not ready to reveal the identity of the person. "I shall disclose it later," said Chandy. Asked whether it was former KPCC president V M Sudheeran, he shot back, "Isn't he my party colleague?'' When it was pointed out that Sudheeran remarked the Solar Commission charges were very serious when the entire party stood united to counter the Solar onslaught, Chandy affirmed the matter was indeed so.