The CPM is not just trying to deflect charges of corruption but, with the Assembly elections drawing near, is also zeroing in on new targets in the Opposition camp. And they could not have chosen a more high profile punching bag than Congress's most articulate and popular young MLA V D Satheesan.
The charge that Satheesan had violated the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act by soliciting funds from foreign donors for constructing homes for the flood affected in Paravur has been doing the rounds for quite some time. Satheesan had facilitated the construction of 200 such houses in his constituency.
Satheesan himself had defended these charges inside the Assembly twice, including on January 12 when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan clearly hinted corruption in Satheesan's actions. The chief minister himself mentioning the allegations against Satheesan was clear sign that the CPM had decided to haunt the Congress leader without let.
It looked like CPM's tit-for-tat for the Congress's shrill campaign against the Life Mission flats in Wadakkancherry.
But Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan's response to the charges before the current session began came as a breather for Satheesan. When the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau approached him seeking permission to initiate a probe against Satheesan, the Speaker had asked for more details. This was Speaker's lingo for finding no merit in the allegations.
And during a media interaction before the start of this session, the Speaker held up his decision in the Satheesan case as proof that he had never acted in a vindictive manner.
There were the court verdicts also in favour of Satheesan. He told the Assembly on January 12 that both the single and division benches of the High Court had dismissed the case against him right at the admission stage.
Nonetheless, the CPM hit back at Satheesan with an even greater vigour and urgency on Wednesday. Its Kalliassery MLA T V Rajesh said there was visual proof that Satheesan had sought 500 pounds from non-resident Keralites during a donor meeting held in Birmingham, Britain.
Satheesan disputed this and said he had not sought 500 pounds as alleged and promised to apologise to the House if he was found doing so.
Rajesh had more questions. He wanted to know into which account was the contributions from the donors deposited, how the money was spent, who coordinated the relief work using foreign contribution and how the beneficiary list was drawn up.
Satheesan said it was unfair that allegations were levelled against him without advance intimation. The Speaker also said Rajesh had not informed him as is mandatory when members want to raise corruption charges against other members of the House.
Nonetheless, Satheesan wanted an opportunity to respond to Rajesh's charges, and it was granted.
Though Rajesh declared that he wanted Satheesan to "smartly" respond to his questions, he kept vigorously interrupting Satheesan when he started to reply.
The Congress leader, in between long interruptions, said there was no account for the Punarjani Project. He said donors constructed houses directly and when they could not do so, the amount was transferred in instalments to local contractors identified for the project.
As for the beneficiaries, he said the list was prepared after a survey conducted by the students and teachers of a management institute in his constituency, Paravur.
He also said that sewing machines, notebooks, uniforms and cattle feed were purchased using donor cheques and distributed in the presence of donors and himself.
The ruling benches, finding that Satheesan was using the chance to bow his own trumpet, tried to shout him down saying he need to respond only to the charge that he had asked for 500 pounds from foreign donors. Satheesan but managed to give a brief account of his Punarjani work.
The Speaker said he had the video (Satheesan's Birmingham visit) with him and would deliver his verdict soon.
The ruling front is in no mood to let Satheesan off lightly.
