Thiruvananthapuram: Reeling under the severe blow of Supreme Court's verdict favouring criminal prosecution of a few Leftist legislators involved in the infamous ruckus on the floor of the Legislative Assembly, the State government and ruling Left Democratic Front are now putting their heads together to put up a robust legal fight.
Even though the government had expected an adverse verdict on the 2015 incident, the scathing criticism against the government has come as a bolt from the blue for the ruling CPM as it set to chart its defence plan for the prosecution stage. The SC directive on Wednesday asking the accused, including the current Education Minister and CPM state committee member V Sivankutty, to face prosecution proceedings, is set to bother the party in the coming days.
Sivankutty who first submitted a letter to the government seeking to withdraw the case ironically became the biggest casualty of the verdict. The UDF leaders, including the then opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala who filed petitions against the Government move to withdraw case, even came under pressure at the personal level.
CPM's stand so far
The CPM has decided to defend all the accused in the case as it pertains to a political agitation which was planned and executed by the opposition against the then UDF Government. Even though the LDF mode of agitation in the assembly had led to widespread public criticism, the CPM has not disowned the stir so far. The party has taken such a stand because of the apprehension that if it admits that the agitation was wrong then its position would become weak legally and politically.
Unique situation
Ironically, the same government which fought a legal battle for the withdrawal of the case will now have to don the role of prosecution. A situation where the government is the prosecutor and Education Minister V Sivankutty and MLA K T Jaleel are the accused.
Moreover, it remains to be seen as to how many officials would come forward to give witness statement against the accused in a case which has been vehemently opposed by the government. But one thing is sure that the government would not make any attempt in a haste to wriggle out of the case.
The strategy would be to prolong the case to the maximum possible extent.
Moral dilemma
What is more disturbing for the CPM are the moral issues that have cropped up because of the Supreme Court verdict to prosecute senior leader and party central committee member E P Jayarajan in a case pertaining to vandalism and damage to electronic gadgets in assembly.
With CPI's K Ajith also being in the list of accused, it would be difficult for the CPM ally to distance itself from the case or adopt an indifferent attitude.
One of the major contradictions is that Kerala Congress (Mani), the party against which the LDF had launched the massive agitation, is now part of the ruling front and its members are in the Treasury Benches.
Another threat lurks
The CPM decision asking Sivankutty to face the prosecution proceedings even while continuing as minister, has also raised another question. What will be the party stand should the apex court come out with a veridct tomorrow asking Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to face prosecution proceedings in SNC Lavalin case?
In such a situation, the CPM's stand might become untenable as the party has taken a position that the assembly case pertains to a political agitation. The SNC Lavalin case on the other hand is a corruption case.
