Thiruvananthapuram: The opposition UDF expressed doubts in the Assembly on Monday that the Pinarayi Vijayan government was using the 'Kodakara Highway Robbery' case to negotiate a safe exit from the slew of cases the central investigating agencies had initiated, especially in the gold smuggling case, against the last Pinarayi government.
Congress MLA Shafi Parambil, while moving the adjournment motion on the issue, had indirectly alluded to such a BJP-CPM underhand deal. "The police should act in an unbiased manner and bring the culprits to book. Or else there would be criticism that the government was hand in gloves with the BJP, " Shafi Parambil said. Shafi was more critical of the BJP leaders who he said had pumped black money to subvert the election results.
It was Opposition Leader V D Satheesan who went straight for the jugular. Satheesan was so provocative that he managed to enrage Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had recently acquired a sort of statesmanlike restraint.
Right at the outset Satheesan pointed out what he termed the Chief Minister's reluctance in his speech to mention the role of BJP leaders in the case. "I found you trying hard to keep even the name of the BJP state president out of your speech, " Satheesan said.
He said the Kerala Police was dragging the case. "It has been two months since the case was registered," Satheesan said. The robbery had taken place on April 3 but a complaint was registered by the driver, Shamjeer, only on April 7, a day after the elections.
"Though the police has all the information why were top BJP leaders not included in the list of the accused and arrested, " Satheesan asked.
He asked why Dharmarajan, for whom the money was brought, was not an accused. Further, he wanted to know why the case was not referred to the Income Tax and the Enforcement Directorate.
The Chief Minister, in a tone of sarcasm, said the BJP state president Surendran had also demanded this. A hint that the Congress was trying to indirectly help the BJP leaders.
Satheesan said referring the case to the IT Department or the ED would not prevent the state Police from continuing with the investigation.
Further, Satheesan charged that the witnesses now called by the police knew beforehand the questions they would be asked. "The questions would be printed in the Deshabhimani (CPM's mouthpiece) two days before they are summoned, " Satheesan said.
The Opposition leader then touched upon the conspiracy. "The central agencies wound up the many investigations against the last government just before the elections. So as part of a deal, will this probe too come to an end, " he said.
Satheesan said the government's words against the BJP should not be like a "circus fight" in which there would only be sounds but no real fight.
Vijayan was still not provoked. It was with a smile he said that settlements were part of the UDF's policy. He asked who had withdrawn the case against Sangh Parivar leader Praveen Togadia and also the case against ABVP leaders who had attacked the police in MG College, Thiruvananthapuram.
Satheesan then said everyone knew how the CPM had managed to settle the cases against the government and who had helped them to do so.
This was the limit. "If you have the names in your pocket, give it out right now, " Pinarayi challenged Satheesan. The opposition leader got up to respond but Speaker M B Rajesh ended the adjournment motion and went ahead with the other proceedings of the day. Yet Satheesan sneaked in a sentence. "Everyone knows that there was a deal to let BJP win in seven seats including Manjeshwaram and Palakkad."
