KOCHI:
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief K Sudhakaran who was on Friday arrested by the Crime Branch wing of the police in a cheating case, in which the prime accused is controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, and later released on bail, has said that he was ready to step aside.
“I’m ready to step aside from my role as KPCC President if necessary. I will not do anything to harm the party,”
“I’m confident of my innocence. I’m not afraid of the probe,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Crime Branch is all set to extend the probe to Sudhakaran’s companions as well. The investigation team will question Ebin Abraham, Sudhakaran’s confidante and a Congress leader based in Ernakulam, on Sunday.
Mr. Sudhakaran, after being released on bail, told reporters that he was arrested after several hours of questioning by the Crime Branch before which he had appeared in the morning for questioning. “They questioned me. After that, they recorded my arrest and then I was released on bail. I have faith in the judiciary. I will face the case in court,” he told reporters here.
Mr. Sudhakaran, surrounded by several party leaders and workers, said that he was “fully confident” that the police had no evidence against him in the case for him to be punished. “I am not afraid. I am not going to hide anywhere,” he said. On being asked whether he rejected links with Mavunkal, the KPCC chief said that he has. Meanwhile, senior party leaders of Congress in Kerala criticised Sudhakaran’s arrest and termed it as a “political conspiracy”.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly V D Satheesan contended the Left government was “ruled by fear” and was therefore trying to silence the opposition by such tactics. He said that both the Congress and the UDF opposition led by it would resist the Left government’s alleged move of filing false cases against the opposition leaders who are criticising the administration and making allegations of corruption against it.
Satheesan alleged that the actions of Chief Minister Pinaryi Vijayan in Kerala were a “carbon copy” of what Prime Minister Narendra Modi was doing in Delhi. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala too equated Vijayan with Modi by alleging that they both share the same fascist attitude of imprisoning those critical of their government. He contended that Sudhakaran’s arrest was “politically motivated” and would be countered legally and politically.
Chennithala also said that the KPCC chief’s arrest was a “drama” to divert public attention from the alleged corruption and mismanagement by the state government. He also said that Vijayan and CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan were living in a “fool’s paradise” if they thought they can silence the opposition by such moves. He also took a dig at the police by joking that the force allegedly stands with its hands tied when party criminals walk in front of it and now it was also hiding criminals.
KPCC general secretary T U Radhakrishnan also spoke in support of his party’s state unit chief and said June 24 would be observed as a Black Day by Congress across Kerala in protest against Sudhakaran’s arrest in a false case against him. He said that Congress workers from booth level onwards would light torches and hold demonstrations in all districts and asked party workers to exercise restraint during their protests and agitations.
