VS demands vigilance probe against Chandy

Monday, 16 January 2012: CPI-M leader VS Achuthanandan, against whom an FIR has been filed in a case relating to charges of irregularities in a land allotment case, he demanded vigilance probe against Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy for alleged corruption and nepotism.
Addressing a public meeting at the conclusion of the three-day Kannur district CPI-M conference here, Achuthanandan alleged that Chandy had “gone out of his way” to favour a COFEPOSA-accused, who was charged by the Revenue Intelligence with smuggling luxury cars into the country.
He also demanded that Chandy order an inquiry to unearth the buyers and users of these cars. “Will Chandy order a vigilance probe into the case,” he asked.
Replying to Chandy’s demand to disclose whether ex- serviceman TK Soman, to whom he allotted land during his chief ministership, was his relative, Achuthanandan said he was indeed his relative.
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had on Friday filed an FIR against the CPI-M veteran and seven others in a case relating to alleged irregularities in assigning 2.33 acres of land to ex-service man Soman at the fag-end of the previous LDF rule.
Detailing the land allotment issue, Achuthanandan said Soman had got the land not because he was his relative. Soman, who had retired from the defence service more than 35 years ago, had applied in 1977 for government assistance for a plot of land as per norms for landless defence personnel, he said.
Achuthanandan said late senior Congress leader K Karunakaran did not resort to “vengeance” against Opposition party leaders even after he was mired in the Palmolein oil import case, but charged Chandy with adopting a “tit for tat attitude” towards them.
Continuing his allegations against the chief minister, the CPI-M veteran claimed that a student, Nirmal Madhavan, was given admission in an illegitimate way to a government engineering college at the behest of Chandy.
On the Mullaperiyar dam issue, he alleged that both the UPA-led government at the Centre and UDF in the state had failed to solve the issue. “There will not be any solution to the Mullaperiyar dam issue unless the Congress-led UDF government is driven out of power in the state,” he said.
During the previous UDF regime under Chandy, nearly 1,500 farmers had committed suicide in the state, but the government remained a mute spectator, Achuthanandan charged.
He claimed that the UDF government would be reduced to a single-member lead in the state assembly after the Piravom by-election in Ernakulam district, necessitated due to the death of minister TM Jacob.
CPI-M State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, backed Achuthanandan during his address, saying there was no need for the 88-year-old to resign as the Leader of Opposition as the vigilance case against him was “framed due to political vengeance”.
The party would extend its support and the case would be legally fought, Vijayan said.