Culture Minister KC Joseph on Friday took strong exception to the suggestion that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala, who also holds the vigilance portfolio, and PWD Minister V.K. Ebrahim Kunju — against whom a vigilance probe was ordered by a court in Thiruvananthapuram — should step down for the sake of transparency in investigation.
At a meet the press programme organised by Ernakulam Press Club, he said the order was based on the petition of the complainant and not in the wake of any finding. “But the media has gone overboard twisting it to appear as if they have all been arraigned as accused in the alleged graft,” he said.
“The complainant, a member of CITU, has clear political motives… The Travancore Titanium Product Ltd was in dire straits and on the verge of closure when then UDF government took some drastic steps to salvage it. But the initiative was wrongly interpreted,” said the minister, adding Mr. Chennithala needn’t relinquish the Vigilance portfolio just because some allegations were raised by somebody.
However, BJP leader PK Krishnadas, in a press conference, described the graft case as ‘the second SNC-Lavlin case’. Demanding investigation by a central agency, he said the minister facing probe should step down.
