Pinarayi, CPI ministers lock horns over Lokayukta amendment

Pinarayi Vijayan
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPI ministers expressed their party's dissent over the amended Lokayukta Act at the State Cabinet meeting held on Thursday.

But the Chief Minister slammed the ministers for airing their differences now, after approving the amendment earlier.

He reminded the CPI ministers that the Cabinet note on the matter had been with them for a week.

Revenue Minister K Rajan raised the CPI's dissent at the weekly Cabinet meet held offline that came after a couple of online meetings held due to the adverse COVID situation and the non-availability of the Chief Minister in the State owing to his foreign visit.

Rajan reportedly put across the CPI's position in the Cabinet that the Lokayukta amendment was unconstitutional.

Not enough opportunity was given for political discussions. The CPI was not given enough time for forming an opinion, he said.

To the demand of the CPI ministers that proper time be given for political consultations before bringing in the Lokayukta Amendment BIll in the Assembly, the Chief Minister replied that the Bill was not coming to the consideration of the Assembly soon.

With this statement by the Chief Minister, it is almost likely that the BIll replacing the ordinance would not be tabled during this Assembly session.

The Chief Minister said that though the amendment was included as an agenda at the Cabinet meeting held on January 12, no decision was taken then for enabling the ministers to study the matter.

The Cabinet note had been with the ministers for a week. The ordinance was cleared by the Cabinet meeting held on January 19. No minister had raised any objection then. So, it was inferred that no one had any opposition to it and all of them supported it, the Chief Minister reportedly told the Cabinet meeting.     

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