The United Democratic Front (UDF) leadership on Thursday announced its decision to withdraw the four-day ‘satyagragha’ on the Assembly premises demanding Health Minister K.K. Shylaja’s resignation in the context of the Assembly’s adjournment sine die.
But Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the UDF would pursue the cases against the Health Minister in other legal forums. He had already filed a case in the Lok Ayukta against several of the Health Minister’s lapses, including nepotism in appointments.
Addressing a press conference here, Mr. Chennithala said the High Court had only expunged some of the adverse remarks it had made, its verdict against misuse of power and intervention in the selection of members of the Kerala State Commission for the Protection of Child Rights still stood. The High Court’s verdict related to only one part of the verdict, he said.
Mr. Chennithala said it was significant that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who spoke for more than 30 minutes in the Assembly, did not justify any of the Health Minister’s action.
Thomas Chandy issue
He said he had written to Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan to order a probe by an Assembly committee, with representation of all political parties in the House, into the charges of land grab and other irregularities, including misuse of power by Transport Minister Thomas Chandy. Since the Minister had thrown challenges to every one who spoke on the charges against him, it was only too appropriate for the House committee to probe the issue, he said.
Later, Mr. Chennithala issued a statement terming as baseless the Health Minister’s allegation that the documents pertaining to the appointment of the Managing Director of the Kerala Health Research and Welfare Foundation he had released to the press were forged.
Explaining the background and the veracity of the document, Mr. Chennithala said the Minister was hanging on technicalities and picking on a minor oversight on his part. The documents, accessed through the Right to Information Act, revealed that the appointment was made through a letter issued in the Minister’s letterhead without following mandatory norms. It had a familiar ring in it like in the case of former Minister E P Jayarajan, he added.
