Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said the State government was not worried about the handing over of the Paul Muthoot murder case to any other investigation agency.
Speaking at a Meet-The-Press programme at the Alappuzha Press Club here on Monday, Mr. Balakrishnan said the government would follow any directions issued by the court in this regard in the wake of a petition filed by Paul Muthoot’s father in the Kerala High Court. Already, the Special Investigation Team probing the murder was informing the step-by-step progress to the court and moving as per the directions of the court, he said, pointing out that the polygraph and narco-analysis tests on the accused in the case were done as per court directives.
The court would decide on Paul’s father petition. As for the government’s moves, the charge sheet in the case would be submitted once the narco-analysis tests were over, he said.
On the November 7 Assembly by-polls, Mr. Balakrishnan said a change from the political circumstances prevalent during the recent Lok Sabha elections was evident now, with the wind blowing in favour of the Left
Democratic Front Government (LDF) in all the three constituencies. Recent polls to local self-governing bodies and college unions, which reflected the mindset of the young generation voters, also indicated this change in public attitude, he said.
With the LDF having around 20 months left in its tenure and still enjoying a clear majority in the Assembly, development in a constituency would be helped by electing a legislator who supported the government, he stated. With all the three constituencies facing the by-poll being coastal regions, the impact of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement on the fishing community and the steps initiated by the LDF government for coastal development, including those for debt relief for fishermen, would undoubtedly by assessed by voters, he felt.
Mr. Balakrishnan also rubbished claims of the UDF that the law and order situation in the State was in shambles. The Centre had acknowledged that the law and order situation in the State was better than that in other States, which was why police modernisation funds to the State were slashed down and re-allocated to other States that required them. Further the national and international level awards that the State police won were testimony to the fact that crime was under control here, he said.
Mr. Balakrishnan also said the LDF did not have any tie-up with the People’s Democratic Party for the by-polls, particularly when the party assessed after the recent Lok Sabha polls that the PDP’s support and presence in LDF meetings was a negative factor that contributed to the Front’s poor showing in the polls.
