Unrest as CPM protest against Chandy turns violent

A protest by CPI(M) activists demanding resignation of Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in the wake of bribery allegation by the prime accused in the solar scam on Thursday turned violent following which police used tear gas shells and batons to quell the protest. 

The protestors, who assembled in front of the state secretariat, threw stones at the police and tried to break the police cordon in the front of the secretariat. Police burst tear gas shells, used water cannons and batons to quell the agitators. 

The agitators raised slogans demanding resignation of Chandy and moved towards the Cantonment gate of the secretariat when police used tear gas shells and water cannons. CPI(M) leader and MLA V Sivankutty led the protest. 

Prime accused in the solar case, Saritha S Nair, had on Wednesday targeted Chandy and Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed while deposing before the Justice Sivarajan Commission in Kochi and  had alleged that she had paid bribes to the tune of Rs 1.90 crore to a close aide of the Chief Minister and Rs 40 lakh to Mohammed. Both had denied the allegation.

Chandy Earlier on Thursday, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy blamed a section of the bar owners for the “political conspiracy” behind the bribery allegations made against him. “The new allegations are part of a political conspiracy hatched in connivance with the liquor lobby. The government had taken a bold decision to close down several liquor bars. 

Because they (bar owners) lost their battle in various courts — high court and Supreme Court, they have come with new allegations to hit out at the government”, he said. “The government has the exact evidence in this regard”, Chandy told reporters. 

Solar scam pertains to cheating of several persons worth crores of rupees by Saritha and her co-accused Biju Radhakrishnan by offering solar panel solutions. The two allegedly used high-level names including that of Chandy to cheat people. While Saritha was granted bail after remaining behind bars for nearly nine months, Radhakrishnan is still in jail.