R.S Vinod and M.T. RameshThiruvananthapuram: BJP leader R.S. Vinod, who was dismissed from party in connection with the cash-for- medical college affiliation scam, claimed that the internal investigation commission deliberately dragged party state general secretary M.T. Ramesh into the issue. His disclosure has once again exposed the ugly internal squabbles in the state BJP leadership.
Vinod alleged that the two-member party commission that looked into the allegations of taking bribe for arranging the necessary clearances from Central Medical Council for a medical college forced the witnesses to name Ramesh. He said this while participating in the 'Counter Point' program on Manorama News.
The commission also urged the complainant R. Shaji, the owner of SR Medical College Varkala, to mention Ramesh in his statement, Vinod added. BJP leaders K.P. Sreeshan and A.K. Naseer were the commission members.
Vinod also went on to add that the commission members asked S.R. Medical College owner over telephone to bring in M.T. Ramesh’s name into the scam. The members also asked him whether he had met Ramesh in person. He also cited that this Shaji himself told a television channel earlier that he had never met M.T. Ramesh in his life, except on TV and that he would like to meet him in person.
The commission also compelled me to name Ramesh in connection with the scam. This is a conspiracy to destroy BJP in the state, Vinod said. It was the commission members Sreeshan and Naseer who had breached the party discipline, he alleged.
The commission inquiry had found that Vinod, who was the convener of co-operative cell of BJP, accepted Rs 5.60 crore from R Shaji, the college owner, for helping him to get affiliation from Central Medical Council for SR Medical College. Subsequently, the party dismissed Vinod.
The cash-for-medical college affiliation scam has rattled the state BJP, with repercussions at the national level. The left and the Congress raised the issue in the Parliament on Friday, putting NDA government on the defensive. The opposition also alleged that the national level leaders of the saffron party were also involved in the scam. The state government has announced a vigilance inquiry into the allegation.
Refuting the charges against him, BJP state general secretary M.T. Ramesh said that he was being targeted purposefully.
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