Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheeshan has categorically ruled out replacing K. Sudhakaran as the KPCC (Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee) president in the wake of his arrest and subsequent bail in what he dubbed as a fake cheating case.
Addressing a press conference on June 24, Mr. Satheeshan said that the Congress and the UDF (United Democratic Front) remain united behind Mr. Sudhakaran.
“Sudhakaran is not alone. We will offer him political and legal shield. When the Pinarayi Vijayan government is trying to arrest him by trapping him in a fake case, no Congress party worker will stab him from behind,” he said. Mr. Satheeshan was responding to Mr. Sudhakaran’s statement earlier in the day volunteering to step down as KPCC chief in case his continuance in the post proves damaging to the party. Mr. Satheeshan said that there have been no parleys in the party to that effect.
He dismissed the digital evidences that the Crime Branch claim to have against Mr. Sudhakaran as ‘fabricated.’ Monson Mavunkal’s driver’s statement was recorded three times since the investigation was launched in 2018. Never did he mention about Mr. Sudhakaran in any of those statements. It was only after the investigation officer was replaced following the intervention of the Chief Minister’s Office that Mr. Sudhakaran’s name cropped up. If it not for the intervention of the High Court, KPCC chief would have been thrown behind the bars in a fake case, Mr. Satheeshan alleged.
Also read: Life sentence for Monson Mavunkal in POCSO case
He called for a probe into the shady deal between Mavunkal and the petitioners who claimed to have initially paid Mavunkal ₹10 crore and then followed it up with another ₹25 lakh in the presence of Mr. Sudhakaran. The background of the petitioners is dubious and they were threatened into accusing Mr. Sudhakaran. If they didn’t need any guarantee to pay Mavunkal ₹10 crore why would then need guarantee from Mr. Sudhakaran to pay ₹25 lakh, he wondered.
If a mere statement by anyone was sufficient to lodge a FIR (First Information Report), then why no FIR has been lodged on the statements by Swapna Suresh (diplomatic gold smuggling case accused) raising several serious allegations against the Chief Minister and his family, said Mr. Satheeshan.
