Oommen Chandy's 'decency' stopped him from revealing the part played by K B Ganesh Kumar, MLA, in the solar scam, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president MM Hassan has said.

Hassan told Manorama News that the new-generation of leaders limited their activism to the online space. “They have to come down to the people and work. Winning elections would be difficult otherwise,” he said.

On Friday, Chandy, former Kerala chief minister, had said that Ganesh had conspired to add names of United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders in the controversial letter submitted by solar scam accused Saritha S Nair to the commission investigating the case.

Chandy had stated that it was a conspiracy hatched by Saritha S Nair and politician Ganesh Kumar that led to his name being dragged in.

It was spitefulness on the part of legislator Ganesh, who was Chandy’s cabinet colleague, that had worked behind Saritha appending four more pages in her letter citing people who allegedly exploited her sexually, the ex-CM told the Kottarakkara Judicial First Class Magistrate Court Thursday.

The solar case relates to the 2013 scam that duped several people to the tune of Rs 70 lakh by offering

them favours in an energy company later found dubious.

Ganesh, who had to exit midway during the 2011-16 tenure of Kerala’s Congress-led UDF ministry under Chandy, couldn’t become a minister again owing to various reasons. This made Ganesh vindictive towards Chandy and other leaders of the multi-party front, Chandy stated.

Chandy’s government had, on the basis of widespread swindling charges against Team Solar company owners Saritha and Biju Radhakrishnan, constituted a special investigation commission. Quite a few

criminal cases were registered against the duo. The ex-CM recalled that a cabinet decision subsequently led to the formation of a panel to probe into the scam where the company owners had offered prospective investors plum posts or solar units.

The letter that Saritha had drafted was initially 21 pages, but got four more pages added when Saritha, lodged in the Pathanamthitta sub-jail, submitted it before the commission in June 2013 in the presence of her counsel Feni Balakrishnan. It is in the four pages that were later added that contained allegations against Chandy and fellow leaders.

Chandy had approached the High Court to get the names withdrawn from the letter, noting that the

commission had completed its inquiry based on the additional names. That submission had got the report partly quashed.

On Thursday, the ex-CM told the Kottarakara court that he wanted a re-examination on the additional pages and the government’s procedures based on them, besides an end to the news and propaganda that the fresh set of names mentioned in the letter had triggered. There was malicious intention behind the addition of the names, Chandy claimed, wanting the truth to come out.