Kerala: Oppn seeks Vijayan's resignation as daughter's name appears in SFIO list

Thiruvananthapuram, April 3 (IANS) After the name of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena Vijayan’s figured in the list of accused of the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) charge sheet for receiving illegal gratification to the tune of Rs 2.70 crores from Kochi-based Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL), for mining sanctions, the Congress and the BJP demanded the resignation of Vijayan.

The Congress party has called for a statewide protest demanding the resignation of Vijayan on Friday.

An official said that the charge sheet has now been filed before the special court looking into cases of economic offences based in Kochi, adding that the money was given to Veena’s now defunct IT firm Exalogic based in Bengaluru.

Veena is the second accused in the SFIO charge sheet and includes both firms, the CMRL and Exalogic, besides CMRL’s MD Sasidharan Kartha and others.

State Congress chief K. Sudhakaran said Vijayan has no moral right to continue as Chief Minister after his daughter has been named as an accused.

“The decision to have Vijayan step down has to be taken up at the ongoing 24th CPI-M Party Congress being held in Madurai. If the ongoing Congress fails to take the right decision in asking Vijayan to step down, it would be the beginning of the collapse of the CPI-M,” said Sudhakaran.

Leader of Opposition V.D. Satheesan said that with the country’s premier agency dealing in company affairs naming Veena as an accused, Vijayan has no moral right to continue, hence he has to step down.

“Ever since this case surfaced, Congress has been pursuing it, and now Vijayan has to go. The ongoing Congress in Madurai has to come out with what they have to say,” said Satheesan.

Senior Congress legislator Ramesh Chennithala said Vijayan was using his daughter to accept the bribe and hence he has to quit at the earliest.

“The Madurai Party Congress should now find a replacement for Vijayan,” said Chennithala.

Meanwhile, the BJP has announced that it will also hold a protest against Vijayan.

--IANS

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