Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has reiterated that he will not remain in public life if an ongoing inquiry finds even an iota of truth in the allegations against him.
Chandy was reacting to a series of allegations of bribe and sleaze against him, his family and members of his cabinet by Saritha Nair, who is standing trial in 33 cases of cheating across the state in the ‘solar panels scam.’
“I am in public life for five decades, and my life is an open book,” the chief minister said yesterday.
“The opposition is scared of (my) government’s good deeds and popularity. So they are after cheap allegations raised by people without any credibility.”
Nair has alleged that a portion of the money she swindled along with her partner Biju Radhakrishnan, now serving life term for killing his wife, went to Chandy, and he wanted his son Chandy Oommen, who is studying in Bengaluru now, to be her business partner.
Deposing before the inquiry commission, she said she would submit details of her sexual escapades with the leaders in a sealed cover.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Pinarayi Vijayan has warned his party would not allow Chandy to venture out. Vijayan is widely seen as the next chief minister if the Left Democratic Front wins the elections this summer.
Also yesterday, opposition leaders led by V S Achuthanandan met Governor P Sathasivam and urged him not to make his customary address when the assembly begins its budget session tomorrow.
The governor however rejected the request saying it was his constitutional duty.
“We will go ahead with the government’s good works which the people have appreciated. The people won’t support their disruptive politics in the 11th hour (before elections),” Chandy said.
In Coimbatore, where she appeared before a local court in one of the cheating cases, Nair said she would also submit some “digital evidence” against Chandy to the commission today.
Chandy said it was unfortunate that opposition politicians and media were now terming the allegations as “revelations” while they ignored claims by the same accused in 2014 that she was offered Rs100mn by a top CPM leader to defame him.
“She has confirmed it now. So, if they believe in her allegations against me, they should also admit having offered her money,” Chandy said.
“She talks about millions of rupees she used to bribe us at a time when she could not honour even a cheque for Rs6,500. Another one for Rs200,000 issued to the chief minister’s relief fund bounced.”