CPM tells Chandy to resign

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Training its guns on Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the CPM on Tuesday asked him to resign as it feared a sabotage of the Vigilance reinvestigation into his alleged role in the palmolein import case."There is no point in Chandy handing over the Vigilance portfolio to one of his confidants. As the Chief Minister,  he still can influence any department,’’ CPM state secretary Pinarayi  Vijayan told mediapersons here.The CPM secretariat, in a statement issued here, asked Chandy to resign if he really cared for the judicial system.“There can’t be an impartial and fearless inquiry into the case when Chandy is the Chief Minister,’’ said the statement.Reminding that there hadn’t been a single instance in the history of Kerala where a court had pointed fingers on a Chief Minister, the CPM said the Vigilance court pointed out 10 reasons to suspect Chandy’s involvement in the case.“This is as good as labelling Chandy as a prima facie accused in the case,’’ it continued.Referring to Chandy’s gesture of relinquishing Vigilance as his approval of the court verdict, Pinarayi said it won’t be enough as the General Administration Department which controls Vigilance is still under the Chief  Minister.“The Home Department from where officers are deputed to Vigilance is also under the CM,’’ said Pinarayi. Politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who took a position on Monday that Chandy should relinquish the Vigilance portfolio, corrected it on Tuesday and demanded Chandy’s resignation.In an article written in CPM mouthpiece ‘Deshabhimani’, Kodiyeri asked Chandy to prove his  integrity by not holding the Chief Minister’s post till the inquiry is over. He even dubbed Chandy’s decision to include four ministers, who had been facing various charges, in his cabinet as a ‘far-sighted one’, taking in view of the forthcoming Vigilance court verdict in the palmolein case.The CPM is learnt to have asked all LDF constituents to join it in making the palmolein case a controversy powerful enough to ensure the exit of Chandy government. The LDF leaders will meet on Wednesday to chalk out an agitation plan.“We are meeting tomorrow and the discussions will be on the current political scenario in the state,’’ LDF convenor Vaikom Viswan said.