UDF demands CM’s resignation after court accuses political executive of subverting anti-corruption probe against ADGP

Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition stated that the court’s “damning indictment of the political executive for subverting a Vigilance investigation to exonerate Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, M. R. Ajith Kumar, from corruption accusations had deprived Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who holds the Home portfolio, the moral right to continue in office.

Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan noted that the court held that the “superpower authority controlling” the VACB, which he claimed was an unambiguous allusion to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), devalued the Supreme Court’s strictures and statutory principles of criminal procedure by conducting a pretence of a preliminary verification against Mr Ajith Kumar.

Mr. Satheesan had earlier accused the officer of being a political insider, who allegedly intrigued with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leadership at the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government’s behest, especially during the run-up to the 2024 general elections.

Quoting Shakespeare, Mr Satheesan sought to press the UDF’s case for Mr Vijayan’s resignation. He mentioned the adage “Ceaser’s wife must be above suspicion” applied to Mr Vijayan. Mr Satheesan stressed that those in high office should uphold the law and appear to do so justly.

He noted the court had flagged an “invisible penetration by someone into the enquiry that led to the preparation of a report favourable to the suspect (Mr Ajith Kumar)“.

Mr Satheesan observed that Kerala Congress (M) founder and Finance Minister in the Oommen Chandy government, K. M. Mani, had set an example by resigning in the wake of tumultuous 2013-14 bar bribery protests orchestrated by the CPI(M) and led by Mr Vijayan.

“Mr Vijayan should follow Mani’s example”, he added. KPCC president Sunny Joseph, MLA and UDF convener Adoor Prakash stated that political propriety demanded Mr. Vijayan resign forthwith. 

Meanwhile, the VACB’s preliminary verification report, which discharges Mr. Ajith Kumar of illegal amassment of wealth, including the purchase of prime housing property in Thiruvananthapuram, profiting from unlawful felling of valuable timber on government property, and benefiting from police interdictions of contraband gold in North Kerala, surfaced on the public domain on Saturday.

Subsequently, A Nagaraj, the public interest litigant who moved the court for an anti-corruption enquiry against Mr Ajith Kumar, filed a petition seeking punitive action, including forfeiture of the salary, against the Vigilance officials, who allegedly conspired to save the ranking office from prosecution by making a pretense of an investigation and accepting the suspect’s words as incontrovertible truth.