Corrupt Vijayan still a comrade

NEW DELHI: As expected, the CPM came to the defence of its scam-tainted polit bureau member and Kerala state secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan, saying it will fight the SNC Lavalin case ���politically and legally���.

The CPM leadership, which is dominated by those with a ���let���s brazen it out��� approach, termed governor RS Gavai���s nod for the prosecution of Mr Vijayan as unfortunate. ���The polit bureau reiterates that the CBI case against Pinarayi Vijayan, polit bureau member and the secretary of Kerala state committee of CPM, is politically motivated. It is unfortunate that the governor of Kerala decided to grant permission to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to initiate prosecution proceedings against Pinarayi Vijayan. CPM will fight the case both politically and legally,��� a statement issued by the party said.

The CPM���s move to shield Mr Vijayan comes at a time when the SNC Lavalin case is being cited as one of the major reasons for the LDF���s debacle in Kerala, where the Left���s Lok Sabha tally dropped from 18 seats to 4. However, the CPM state secretariat, in which Mr Vijayan���s loyalists outnumber the rival faction, had blamed chief minister VS Achuthanandan���s defiance of the party stand on Lavalin for the poll outcome.

With the Lavalin scam returning to haunt the party, CPM has made it clear that Mr Vijayan will continue in the top party post. However, Mr Vijayan���s arch rival, VS Achuthanandan, maintained that the matter will be discussed by the party committee.

CPM ally CPI said the question of whether Mr Vijayan should continue as party secretary was a decision to be taken by that party. ���He is not a minister. He holds a party post and any decision on his continuance is up to CPM,��� CPI general secretary AB Bardhan said.

However, he was of the view that Mr Vijayan should have offered to face the prosecution. ���The Lavalin issue has become more complicated. After all, the governor has ignored the recommendation of the Cabinet, which was based on the advocate general���s opinion. This raises a constitutional issue also. It���s quite another matter if Mr Vijayan himself had offered to face the judicial probe in the interest of probity in public life,��� Mr Bardhan said. He also said the governor could have taken the decision under political pressure.

Mr Vijayan is the ninth accused in the Lavalin scam, relating to awarding of contracts to a Canadian firm of the same name for renovation of three hydro-electric projects when Mr Vijayan was electricity minister in 1998.