Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has expressed full confidence in the Oommen Chandy government, which was at the brink of a serious crisis after a vigilance court ordered that FIR be lodged against Chandy and Power Minister Arayadan Mohammed, following bribery allegations against them raised by Saritha S Nair, prime accused in the Solar scam.
The meeting UDF which met at Cliff House, the CM's official residence here, on Saturday decided to urge the government to launch a comprehensive probe to bring out those behind the alleged conspiracy to topple it.
Click here for full coverage of the solar scam
Alleging that a conspiracy had been hatched by CPM and a section of the liquor lobby to topple the government, UDF convener P.P. Thankachan said Saritha's depositions before the Justice Sivarajan commission, probing the scam, that she had paid Rs 1.90 crore to a close aide of Chandy and Rs 40 lakh to Mohammed were part of this.
It was also noted at the meeting that Saritha herself had alleged earlier that she had been offered Rs 10 crore by the CPM as bribe to speak out against the government and the Marxist party had not denied it so far, he said.
Saritha's claims targeting the chief minister showed that the bribe amount had allegedly been paid and she had received it, Thankachan said. The violent agitations by youth outfits of CPM demanding resignation of chief minister, were also part of the conspiracy, he said. (With agency inputs)