VS defies CPM Politburo line: Won’t criticise CBI

On the day Governor R S Gavai sought the opinion of the Kerala cabinet on the CBI request for sanction to prosecute CPM politburo...

On the day Governor R S Gavai sought the opinion of the Kerala cabinet on the CBI request for sanction to prosecute CPM politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin case,Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan,in open defiance of the politburo line that the investigating agencys move was politically-motivated,said he would not criticise the CBI. He also said he had informed the politburo that he would not be participating in the Nava Kerala Yatra,a statewide political tour by Vijayan which began Monday.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi,Achuthanandan said the politburo might have had reasons to believe that the case against Vijayan was politically motivated but as a person occupying a constitutional post,he would not go against the court or the CBI.

It (the Lavalin case) was a decision of the Kerala High Court,its division bench to order a CBI probe… the High Court ordered the probe,set the timeline and monitored it… if I say anything about it (the probe report),it will amount to questioning or challenging the court. As a person who was sworn in to protect the Constitution,I cannot criticise the court. He said he had informed CPM general secretary Prakash Karat about his stand. He also said he would be attending the politburo meeting on February 14.

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In Thiruvananthapuram,Governor Gavais office confirmed that government opinion had been sought on the CBI request for sanction to prosecute Vijayan who was state power minister when a deal was signed with Lavalin in 1997 for the renovation of three power projects.

The Governors office has moved the letter to the cabinet today. But we have not set any deadline for the government to reply,said K Ajithkumar,private secretary to the Governor.

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