State Government Pressuring SIT in Sabarimala Gold Loss Case, Alleges Satheesan
Kochi: Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly VD Satheesan on Friday alleged that the state government was trying to include two police officers close to the CPI(M) in the SIT probing the Sabarimal gold loss case.
Addressing reporters here, Satheesan objected to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s statement that the state government did not interfere in the investigation in any way.
“The state government is putting extreme pressure on the SIT to protect CPI(M) leaders involved in the case. Three of the party leaders are already in jail in connection with the case and more are in the pipeline,” he said.
Reacting to the CM’s statement about the prime accused in the case, seen in a photograph with Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Congress MPs from Kerala, he said it was an attempt to mask the real issue.
“SIT does not investigate who the accused took a photo with. In this case, the chief minister himself must disclose a photo in which he is seen with the accused,” he said.
Satheesan said what is being investigated is a series of thefts that took place at the Sabarimala temple since 2019 during the reign of the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) on the direct orders of the Supreme Court.
He alleged that the Prime Minister and CPI(M) leaders were trying to divert attention from criminal activities.
On the allegation that CPI(M) was horse-trading to win Wadakkanchery block panchayat in Thrissur district, he said CPI(M) had stooped to such a level that they were offering Rs 50 lakh for a UDF rebel to vote in their favour.
The audio clip of the UDF rebel talking to a local Congress leader about the proposal had gone viral on Friday.
Satheesan ridiculed the chief minister’s claim that the Congress and the BJP helped each other in the last civic elections and said the CPI(M) had a tacit understanding with the BJP. “Without even consulting his government’s frontline partners in power, the Prime Minister had signed an agreement with the Center on SHRI.”
In his tirade against the Indian Union Muslim League, Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam general secretary Vellappally claimed that Natesan had become the mouthpiece of the prime minister.
“Just like the BJP, a disgusting social and hate campaign is being run by Natesan with the approval of the chief minister,” Satheesan said.
Natesan had the guts to criticize LDF partner CPI as it had the support of the chief minister, he charged.
