Kochi: Kerala’s Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan on Saturday categorically ruled out the question of K Sudhakaran’s resignation from the post of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president in the wake of his arrest in a cheating case.
Satheesan said the Congress will protect Sudhakaran 'from the case fabricated by the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government at any cost'.
“The party has not at all discussed removing Sudhakaran from the post in the name of this case. He will not be removed from the post based on this case. We will shield him with all possible political and legal means. The Congress workers will protect him even by giving our life. Even if he is willing to step down, we won’t allow that,” Satheesan said, addressing media at the District Congress Committee office here.
He was reacting to a question on Sudhakaran’s comment that he was willing to step down if needed. The PCC president had, earlier in the day, said he won’t do anything that harms his party.
Satheesan said not even a single Congress worker will backstab Sudhakaran when Pinarayi Vijayan is trying to put him in jail. “Sudhakaran is not alone,” he said.
The opposition leader said the Congress and the United Democratic Front will continue its agitations against the corrupt ways of the government.
Satheesan reiterated his earlier claims that the case against Sudhakaran was framed based on fake statements. “The police are registering cases based on random statements. The complainants in the case have no credibility as they were engaged in a shady deal with Monson Mavunkal,” he said.
“If there was no intervention by the court, Sudhakaran would have been in jail. Monson's driver is said to have given a statement against Sudhakaran. Even when he was questioned thrice before, the driver did not give any statement about Sudhakaran. The new statement has come following the intervention by the chief minister's office and the appointment of a new investigating officer,” Satheesan said.
“The transactions between Monson Mavunkal and the complainants are illegal. It is said that the complainants are businessmen. Would anyone believe Monson’s claim that the central government was to release Rs 2.65 lakh crore to him? When the complainants handed over Rs 10 crore to Monson there was no presence of Sudhakaran. Did Sudhakaran ask them to pay Monson Rs 10 crore? Then, why should Sudhakaran be present there when they paid Rs 25 lakh? It's a shady deal between Monson and the complainants. I had already sought a probe into this,” he said.
Sudhakaran was on Friday arrested by the Crime Branch in a cheating case in which the prime accused is controversial antique dealer Monson Mavunkal, and later released on bail.
Sudhakaran later told reporters that he was arrested after several hours of questioning by the Crime Branch.
"They questioned me. After that, they recorded my arrest and then I was released on bail. I have faith in judiciary. I will face the case in court," he told reporters here.
Following Sudhakaran's arrest, the national leadership of Congress came down heavily on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, saying he, just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has the "fascist attitude" of imprisoning those critical of his government.
AICC general secretary in-charge, communications, Jairam Ramesh said while the rest of the opposition in the country was on one track, Vijayan was acting as "Mundu Modi".
