Achuthanandan slams party probe

Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan has accused his former private secretary S. Rajendran of having come up with the charge to curry favour with Mr. Vijayan.

In a hard-hitting response to the inner-party inquiry into the charge that he had interfered in the investigation into the SNC-Lavalin deal to trap CPI(M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan has accused his former private secretary S. Rajendran of having come up with the charge to curry favour with Mr. Vijayan.

Replying to questions at a news conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Achuthanandan said Mr. Rajendran, who had been his private secretary when he was Chief Minister, was relieved from the post when he denied people access to him (Mr. Achuthanandan) and did much else.

His attempt thereafter was to make it appear that he (Mr. Achuthanandan) had tried to cause harm to Mr. Vijayan in the Lavalin case.

Mr. Achuthanandan said the party Central committee member P. Karunakaran, who had inquired into Mr. Rajendran’s charge, had not heard him before finalising his report.

“I was the one who sought an inquiry. Did Karunakaran ask me about it,” he asked and pointed out that the CPI(M) general secretary himself had made it clear that the inquiry report was of no consequence.

Denies tie-up

Replying to questions relating to media reports that Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty’s estranged relative K.A. Rauf had tried to influence judges to secure a favourable verdict for him, Mr. Achuthanandan said he did not require Mr. Rauf’s support to get favourable verdicts from courts.

Mr. Rauf might be seeking escape routes after doing many things for Mr. Kunhalikutty earlier.

His own attempt was to secure copies of Mr. Rauf’s statements to the police relating to the Kozhikode ice-cream parlour case.

Mr. Rauf also might have been trying to bring out the truth after all that he had done earlier.

Mr. Achuthanandan said he had not discussed the Lavalin case with the former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil or any High Court judge. He had met Mr. Patil to hand over to him a letter he had received from the parents of Shari, the victim of the Kiliroor-Kaviyoor sex scandal, the Opposition Leader said.