Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the lottery scandal as the issue involves other States and the neighbouring country of Bhutan.
Addressing a meet-the-press programme here on Tuesday, Mr. Chennithala said that only a CBI investigation could unravel the truth as the Finance Minister Thomas Isaac was trying to cover up the case.
He said that he was writing to Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan demanding the CBI probe into the lottery issue. Alleging that the Government had allowed the lotteries of other States to evade paying tax arrears to the tune of Rs. 9289.41 crore, he said that no steps had been taken by the government to control the other State lotteries despite the allegations raised by Congress MLA V.D. Satheeshan in the Assembly in writing. Referring to the UDF’s earlier demand for a judicial inquiry into the issue, he said that a Minister should have boldly faced investigation if charges were levelled against him or her. The Finance Minister, however, was scary about the judicial probe, he added.
Exuding the hope that the United Democratic Front (UDF) would pull off a huge victory in the local body elections, Mr. Chennithala said that the political situation prevalent during the last Lok Sabha elections was still there. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) had further weakened after the parties such as the Indian National League and the Kerala Congress (Joseph) as well as other groups and individuals left the LDF. The decision of the Mankada MLA, Manjalamkuzhi Ali’s decision to resign as MLA was the latest instance of the erosion in the LDF, he said adding that more people would leave the LDF soon.
Stating that the LDF would face a serious electoral debacle in the civic polls, Mr. Chennithala said that the four-and-a-half rear rule by the LDF government would be evaluated in the election. The LDF government was a total failure as far as development was concerned, he said adding the people were just waiting for its term to end. All kinds of mafia groups were causing harm to the people, he said adding that Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers were involved in 58 cases of attacks on police station to get arrested party workers released. The government was also a total failure in ensuring peaceful life to the people, he said.
The KPCC president also said that the CPI(M) was trying to communalise the election by unleashing verbal assaults on the Catholic church. The party was apparently trying to instigate majority communalism, he said noting that the Congress was facing the election on a secular plank. The UDF had no alliance or adjustment with any communal party, he emphasised.
Mr. Chennithala also said that the the State Election Commission had been urged to send Central paramilitary forces in this district to ensure free and fair elections. There were cases of UDF candidates being intimidated and forced to withdraw from elections, he said. The UDF suspected that the CPI(M) would resort to large scale impersonation, he added.
Asked if Manjalamkuzhi Ali would be welcomed to the Congress, Mr. Chennithala said that the resigned MLA would be welcomed to the UDF.
He also said that the Congress welcomed the High Court decision to serve notice on CPI(M) leader M.V. Jayarajan in a contempt of court case.
