Kannur: Advocate T P Hareendran, who recently accused Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader P K Kunhalikutty of intervening in the case related to the murder of Ariyil Shukoor, said nobody forced him to speak against the IUML leader.
Hareendran said a few days ago that DySP Sukumaran got in touch with him unofficially for legal advice regarding the case in which P Jayarajan is an accused.
While Sukumaran denied this on Thursday, Hareendran said that the officer is doing so due to his limitations.
'I'm nobody's megaphone'
Hareendran said that he had given the legal advice that P Jayarajan can be charged with conspiracy to murder in Shukoor case.
“The police didn't charge him of the same as Kunhalikutty intervened later. Nobody is forcing me to reveal this fact, I'm no one's megaphone. I decided to reveal the incident when Kunhalikutty recently said that the Vaidekam wellness centre controversy is CPM's internal business,” Hareendran said. P Jayarajan had recently alleged that LDF convener EP Jayarajan has financial interest in Vaidekam and it is against the ideals of the party. It became a controversy soon after and Kunhalikutty termed it an 'internal matter' initially, though he later demanded an investigation on the same.
Apparently K Sudhakaran calleed Hareendran and said that he should not have made such allegations.
Kunhalikutty denies allegation
Denying the allegation raised by lawyer Hareendran, Kunhalikutty said the party had discussed the issue.
"We have been hearing three or four names and speculations. Time will tell what the truth is. KPCC President K Sudhakaran should not be dragged into this. He has explained about his statements. I am not going to leave the case and I will pursue till its logical end,” he said.
He added that he would take legal action to against those making allegations.
Will discuss the allegations on Friday: PMA Salam
Hareendran’s allegation has sparked a fresh controversy within the United Democratic Front (UDF). The ball was set rolling by K Sudhakaran, the state president of the Congress, who asked publicly whether the charge against Kunhalikutty wasn’t serious.
Muslim League, provoked by Sudhakaran’s query, suspected a conspiracy behind the allegation. “We will discuss the matter raised by Sudhakaran at the UDF meeting scheduled on Friday,” said P M A Salam, state general secretary of the Muslim League. The League wants to ascertain whether the allegation against Kunhalikutty emerged from the UDF or somewhere else. In case it is found that someone within UDF was behind it, the front would face a major crisis.
Certain people in the UDF who were irked by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s recent statement terming League as the strongest party in the UDF were behind the allegation, feel many League leaders.
When the League raises the issue during Friday’s UDF meet, a section in the Congress is expected to support the party. Shukoor was murdered in broad daylight at Ariyil in Kannur in February, 2012.
The murder was apparently sparked by an attack on some CPI(M) workers at Ariyil, a stronghold of the Muslim League, during the third week of February that year.
