CMRL case: Congress divided over govt's stand on Vijayan as some insiders seek payback for Chandy

Thiruvananthapuram: The debate over whether there was a delay in registering a case against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the CMRL case has triggered fresh infighting within the Congress in Kerala, with senior leaders exchanging indirect barbs and the party leadership stepping in to enforce discipline.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sunny Joseph has warned that all leaders must accept decisions taken by the party and the government. He said he was issuing a public warning because some leaders had crossed the limits of acceptable conduct.

The dispute has also drawn in the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP), an associate member of the United Democratic Front (UDF). The party has criticised the Advocate General for supporting Vijayan's arguments in the High Court, describing the stand as contrary to public opinion.

The latest confrontation has acquired an emotional dimension, with some Congress leaders invoking the treatment meted out to former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in an earlier case.

Congress leaders have recalled how Vijayan, when he was Chief Minister, ordered a CBI probe against Oommen Chandy based on a complaint submitted in writing. They argue that the same standard of accountability should apply to Vijayan.

Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan had earlier said that if justice had not been done to Chandy, it should not be extended to anyone else. K. Sudhakaran also challenged the government to question Vijayan, asking whether it was a government of men.

UDF convener Adoor Prakash added to the controversy by saying that he was not being informed of decisions taken at the front's level. He also alleged that attempts were being made to push him out of his position.

Minister K. Muraleedharan responded by suggesting that when someone repeatedly criticises the Chief Minister, there could be someone working behind the scenes.

Muraleedharan also responded sarcastically to Sudhakaran's question about whether the government was a government of men, saying that the claim could be examined.

Congress MLA Chandy Oommen (son of Oommen Chandy), meanwhile, did not align himself with either side. Although he had said earlier that his father, Oommen Chandy, had not received justice, he maintained that the CMRL case should be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Minister Ramesh Chennithala reportedly believe that repeatedly raising the issue is not an innocent move. The matter had already been explained at a Congress Legislature Party meeting, including the steps being taken in connection with the investigation against Vijayan.

Sunny Joseph warns leaders against public statements

Amid the growing friction, KPCC president Sunny Joseph issued a firm warning, saying Kerala leaders should not take any step that could create difficulties for the Congress central leadership.

He said leaders were free to express their views at party forums but would not be permitted to air their differences publicly. All leaders, he stressed, were bound to maintain party discipline.

Joseph also said he would not respond publicly to public statements made by other leaders.

On the CMRL case, he said a case had been registered against Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan and that both the Chief Minister and the Home Minister had made it clear that the law would take its course.

“The government proceeded on the basis of legal advice. It was not trying to prevent a case from being registered. The decision was a mature one,” Joseph added.