Pinarayi should relinquish Home portfolio, says Chennithala

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has demanded that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan relinquish the Home department in view of the adverse judicial remarks against his office in a corruption case involving M.R. Ajith Kumar, Additional Director-General of Police.

Mr. Chennithala told the media on Saturday that Mr. Vijayan had no authority to absolve Mr. Ajith Kumar in a case investigated by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). He claimed that the Chief Minister had acted in an unusual manner against the Vigilance Manual and interfered in the inquiry report in an unauthorised way. He pointed out that the VACB and the Minister in charge of the department were supposed to abide by the Manual, as per which the inquiry report against Mr. Ajith Kumar should have been submitted in the court. Further proceedings were to be followed after the court examined the report. The Home Minister in charge of the VACB was authorised to interfere only in administrative matters. However, the prosecutor submitted the report in the court along with a note from the Chief Minister. This led to the adverse judicial remarks against him, Mr. Chennithala said.

Meanwhile, the Congress leader also sought an inquiry against Public Works Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas in the wake of the recurring instances of bridges collapsing across the State. Mr. Chennithala said that at least three under-construction bridges had came crashing down in recent times, which was a result of gross corruption. The Left Democratic Front government, which was eager to file a case against former Minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju after some cracks were noticed on the Palarivattom bridge, was not all concerned about these incidents, he alleged.