Let UDF expel me, says Pillai

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “If the UDF wants to expel me, let them do that on January 28 when the members meet. Only then can I go before the people and expose more evidence on corruption,” Kerala Congress (B) leader R Balakrishna Pillai said on Thursday. 

Thursday’s editorial on Congress mouthpiece Veekshanam, had mocked Pillai, saying “if Pillai jumps, he will, only till the height of his knee.” Pillai’s statement is in reply to this. “I am the person who made a horn called LDF and I therefore have the right to cut it,” he said.    

“Mani, who is tainted by corruption allegation, can decide on whether to present the budget or not. But he himself has to decide whether he has the moral right to do that. Even before Biju exposed the scandal I had mentioned it to the chief minister,” Pillai said.   

Pillai also welcomed the observation in the editorial that his son Ganesh Kumar was more mature than him. “As a father, I feel happy to hear such words about my son. The same paper had criticised Ganesh two weeks ago,” he added.

Veekshanam editorial severely censures Balakrishna Pillai 

Congress mouthpiece Veekshanam has come down heavily on Balakrishna Pillai, whose statements have put Minister K M Mani in the docks. It asks Pillai to confess his wrongdoings in the past and bath in Papanashini (a river that washes away ones sins, according to beliefs).  

The editorial also delves on the reason for his defeat in the Assembly election. Pillai’s threat that he would expose more corruption in the government once he goes out of the UDF is like “threatening using snake made of palm leaves”. Pillai is one who can’t be trusted. 

Pillai is safe since Kerala is currently ruled by a cool-headed chief minister like Oommen Chandy. What he deserves is the kind of action late chief minister K Karunakaran had taken against him for making a Punjab model speech (Pillai was stripped of his ministerial post ). 

The editorial also reminds that his hands once had the taint of corruption. “Before coming out with allegations regarding corruption, he should first wash off the blemish on him in the Idamalayar case in which he was convicted and jailed, and Graphite case, which could not be proved.