Congress: Case exposes Achuthanandan's true face

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rejecting CPI(M) veteran V S Achuthanandan's contention that the vigilance case against him in a land allotment scam was a political conspiracy, Congress in Kerala today said the preliminary probe in the matter revealed the true face of Achuthanandan.

"His mask is off. He has always claimed himself to be a bold crusader against corruption.Now the preliminary probe by vigilance shows that he has committed serious irregularities in assigning land to a relative when he was chief minister", KPCC president Ramesh Chennithala told reporters here.

The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau yesterday filed an FIR against Achuthanandan and seven others in a case relating to alleged irregularities in assigning land to an ex-service man, his relative, at the fag-end of the previous LDF rule.

Asked if the Congress party wanted Achuthanandan to quit as Opposition Leader in the state assembly in view of the development, Chennithala said, "It is for him to decide that."

He, however, recalled that Achuthanandan did not hesitate a moment to ask for his party colleague Pinarayi Vijayan's resignation as CPI(M) secretary when he was listed as an accused in a corruption case two years ago.