Prompted by the row over the alleged involvement of two of the Chief Minister’s personal aides in the solar scam, the United Democratic Front (UDF) Joint Legislature Party (JLP) on Wednesday turned the spotlight on the functioning of staff members of certain other Ministers, with some legislators criticising their attitudes and behaviour towards people’s representatives.
A meeting of the JLP here saw introspection on the manner in which the coalition responded to the charges levelled by the Opposition against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the solar scam. “There is a general talk outside that the UDF is not united as projected. The UDF failed to give a proper reply to the insult heaped by the Opposition,” some of the members pointed out.
The JLP meeting expressed the view that the Chief Minister should offer a clarification on the allegations related to the setting up of a solar power unit in his official residence. The Chief Minister, sources said, gave an explanation. The JLP members blocked the attempts of Government Chief Whip P.C. George to give a clarification on some of his remarks about the solar scam that added to the woes of the Chief Minister.
The JLP decided to organise public meetings in various districts to counter the Left Democratic Front’s propaganda against the government and the Chief Minister on the issue. The first of the public meetings will be held in the capital, followed by similar functions in Kochi and Kozhikode.
According to sources, Mr. Chandy and Mr. George had a one-to-one meeting, where the Chief Minister is understood to have directed Mr. George to hold back his actions that have added to the government’s problems. The Opposition has picked on Mr. George’s remarks about the size of the solar scam, putting the Chief Minister on the back foot on the floor of the Assembly.
