Vigilance chief should continue in office, says Achuthanandan

KOCHI: Extending his support to vigilance director Jacob Thomas, veteran CPM leader VS Achuthanandan said that the government should provide all facilities for him to continue in the office.

Reacting to the reports that the vigilance director has given a letter to the Home secretary to relieve him from the post, Achuthanandan said that Jacob Thomas is a sincere officer and should continue in office. He said that former ministers like KM Mani and K Babu, against whom the vigilance has initiated inquiries, were behind the false campaign against Jacob Thomas.

Though Jacob Thomas said on Wednesday that he was firm on the decision to quit from the post of director, Vigilance, the ruling party , CPM has given a clean chit to him.

The party secretariat meeting has reportedly decided that he need not resign from the post. The exit of Jacob Thomas, at a time when the Vigilance is looking into the charges of nepotism against EP Jayarajan of CPM, will send out a wrong message about the party .

A report of an inquiry conducted by the previous gover nment against Jacob Thomas for taking decisions that caused loss to the exchequer was leaked to the press early this week. Opposition party members made fun of him in the assembly. After these developments, Thomas has, however, said that he will not run away from his post of Vigilance director.

But a day later, he changed his mind and gave a letter to the government seeking his removal from the office. The Left Front has alleged that it was the campaign by the UDF leaders that prompted Jacob Thomas to take such a decision. However, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said that there was something dubious about the move by Jacob Thomas suggesting that it was the ruling party that prompted him to take such a decision. He said that the man who said that nobody can put pressure on him has changed his stand overnight.