Govt defends Kurien in Rajya Sabha

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath read out a statement on behalf of the government in which he recounted the sequence of events in the 17-year-old case. An impression is sought to be created that there are some new disclosures. All these disclosures8230; do not challenge the established fact of the impossibility of Prof P J Kurien reaching the alleged place which he arrived on the basis of telephone records,key witnesses including the driver of the state car,the log book of the state car and the time and distance involved. This conclusion is reached by three investigating teams8230;, Nath said in his statement.

Before the minister began his statement,CPMs Sitaram Yechury raised a point of order questioning the governments effort to defend Kurien. The centrality of the Indian Constitution is entirely being undermined by the government standing up to the defence of the Officer of the Legislature which is an independent authority in our Constitution. So where is the separation of powers between the Executive and the Legislature? The moment the Executive defends the legislature,the Legislature becomes compromised to the Executive, Yechury said,before leading a walkout by his party MPs.

Yechury later told reporters that governments defence of Kurien amounted to an interference in the independence of the legislature.

The Deputy Chairman must himself make a statement. The government cannot make a statement on his behalf defending him. When the government makes such a statement,the distinction between the independence of legislature and executive gets blurred and violates the Constitution, he said.

Yechury said Kurien must not discharge his responsibilities as deputy chairman till he is cleared by law and courts. It is untenable for him to continue, he said.