Kochi: Congress-led government’s decision to support Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan in the CMRL-EXALOGIC bribery case in the High Court of Kerala has created a wedge in the ruling Congress in Kerala.
Congress leader Mathew Kuzhalnadan, MLA, who fought legal battles against Pinarayi Vijayan, pulled up an argument with Chief Minister V D Satheesan at a Congress Legislative Party meeting.
The Chief Minister defending the decision to slow pedal on the acting against Vijayan infuriated
Kuzhalnadan.
Mathew questioned why Vijayan should receive special treatment from Congress even as the LDF government had denied the same to Late Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.
CM Satheesan reportedly told the meeting that Kuzhalnadan was driven by youthful enthusiasm and that the government had taken the correct political approach.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, Health Minister K Muraleedharan and Power Minister Sunny Joseph backed the Chief Minister.
Mathew demanded that the government should revise its stand in the wake of the High Court of Kerala Division Bench giving its nod to proceed against Vijayan.
Kuzhalnadan said he had fought the Exalogic case largely on his own and faced harassment, including a Vigilance investigation, for pursuing it. Chennithala countered that the issue had been discussed among senior leaders. Chennithala said he had not known Kuzhalnadan was pursuing the case and would have advised against it had he been consulted.
Ironically Satheesan had flayed Pinarayi in the CMRL-Exalogic case when Congress led front in the opposition.
The allegations against a few Congress leaders taking financial benefits from CMRL could have prompted Congress to stand with Pinarayi, political observers said.
A few days back UDF convener Adoor Prakash, MP, criticised Satheesan in a press conference.
Taking objection to Satheesan’s autocratic way of functioning, Prakash informed his displeasure over it with Congress Central leadership.
Kuzhalnadan publicly criticised the government’s position at a press conference.