Two days after state forest minister K B Ganesh Kumar resigned following a complaint of domestic violence from his wife,the CPM-led opposition demanded that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy should quit. The opposition Tuesday created an uproar in the assembly,forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day. The opposition targeted Chandy after Kumars wife Dr Yamini Thankachi alleged that he had refused to accept her written complaint. Raising the issue in the assembly,the opposition said Chandy had earlier misled the House over the issue. Hence,he has no moral ground to continue in office. Replying to an adjournment motion moved by the opposition,Chandy stuck to his stand that he had not received any complaint as alleged by Thankachi. I had showed the maturity and decorum in dealing with a family issue. The government would take legal steps on the complaints of Kumar and Thankachi, he said. Kumar said he had paid the price for his fight against corruption. I have quit on moral ground to pave way for an impartial probe, he said. He rushed to his community leader G Sukumaran Nair,general secretary of Hindu outfit Nair Service Society,to apprise him of the developments. Nair blamed Chandy and state Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala for the mess over the ministers family matters. Since Kumars party Kerala Congress (B) does not have any other legislator,his forest department would go to the chief minister for the time being.
