Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kerala Culture Minister Saji Cheriyan is set to return to the Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet in the New Year. He will be sworn in on January 4.

The Governor has been apprised of this date by the Government. The Governor's response is awaited.

The CPM State Secretariat has given the nod to induct him again as minister after the Kerala High Court recently dismissed two pleas that sought to disqualify him as a legislator over the speech allegedly insulting the Constitution of India. The petitions had claimed that Cheriyan's actions attracted disqualification under Section 9 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Cheriyan had to quit the Left Democratic Front ministry on July 6 as his alleged anti-Constitution remarks had caused quite a furore.

He had then claimed that the decision to step down was personal and not forced upon him.

"It is my personal decision that it is not right for me to continue as a minister. Hence, I'm resigning from my ministership," Cheriyan had said.

"I understand that the chief minister sought the legal advice of the Advocate General on my speech. I don't know what advice he received but I've taken a personal decision and have communicated the same to the chief minister," he added.

Cheriyan, however, refused to apologise but reiterated that his words were twisted.

In his public address at Mallappally, Cheriyan had claimed that the Constitution was prepared as directed by the British and that it wasn't meant to protect the commoners.

Cheriyan had said: "The words secularism and democracy have been thrown here and there. But the Constitution is clearly being used to exploit commoners."

Cheriyan represents Chengannur legislative assembly constituency.

Congress criticises move

Senior Congress leader and MP K Muraleedharan said that the Chief Minister's decision to bring back Cheriyan into the cabinet was "wrong" as the government ought to have waited for the court's order in the criminal case against the former minister.

"It is not right. He (Cheriyan) did not criticise the Constitution, he insulted it. Without waiting for the court's decision, the Marxist party arbitrarily decided to bring him back into the cabinet," he claimed.

The Congress leader told reporters that if someone else moves court against Cheriyan, there could be a situation where he would have to resign again and that would not bode well for the Left government.