Kannur (Keralam) [India], October 23 : BJP National Executive Committee member PK Krishnadas has accused the UDF government in Keralam of protecting former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the monthly payoff (Masappadi) and hawala cases.
Addressing a press conference in Kannur, Krishnadas said the recent Supreme Court verdict had exposed what he alleged was an understanding between the Congress and the CPI(M) to protect each other in corruption cases.
He alleged that Chief Minister VD Satheesan and the CPI(M) were acting together to shield Vijayan from corruption allegations, thereby undermining the people's mandate. According to Krishnadas, the state government and Vijayan had advanced similar arguments before both the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court.
Krishnadas claimed that the legal proceedings could have been avoided if the state government had registered an FIR in the case at the outset. He alleged that both the government and the CPI(M) had opposed the registration of an FIR, though their stated positions differed on the procedure to be followed.
He questioned why a former Chief Minister should receive treatment different from that available to an ordinary citizen and demanded that the UDF leadership explain its stand on the case.
Referring to Rahul Gandhi's earlier question during the election campaign about why Vijayan had not been arrested, Krishnadas accused the Congress-led government of acting contrary to its earlier position. He alleged that a political understanding between the Congress and the CPI(M) would ultimately harm Kerala's public exchequer.
Krishnadas also said the Congress had no reason to celebrate the Supreme Court verdict, claiming that the FIR had not been quashed and that the court had permitted the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to proceed with its investigation.
He further alleged that attempts were being made behind the scenes to derail the KIIFB case, similar to what he claimed had happened in the Masappadi case.
Krishnadas criticised the Opposition leadership for what he described as its silence and inaction, asserting that the BJP was increasingly emerging as the principal opposition force in Keralam.