CPM suspects Congress diverted Wayanad relief funds for election campaign

CPM's Rajya Sabha MP and DYFI national president A A Rahim on Thursday expressed the suspicion that the Congress party could have diverted the money it had collected for the victims of the Chooralmala-Mundakkai disaster for its election campaign.

"We have a lot of suspicions (about how the money has been used)," Rahim told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram. "From where have they secured the money for this election campaign," he asked. "But, being the Congress, it is not necessary that they have used the money for the election campaign or for other general requirements," Rahim said, insinuating that individual Congress leaders could have pocketed the amount for their personal needs.

The CPM leader aired his suspicions when asked about an earlier remark by excise minister M B Rajesh that the Congress had utilised the Wayanad relief fund it had collected to conduct a two-day leadership camp, Lakshya, at a seven-star resort in Wayanad in January this year. "It could be based on the information that the minister possessed," Rahim said and went on to offer his set of suspicions.

Rahim called the press conference to question what he called the deception game played by the Congress in the Wayanad relief fund issue. He had two posers. How much did Congress collect? And in which account has this money been deposited?

"The money they have collected is anyway not in the balance sheet submitted before the Election Commission of India by the All India Congress Committee (AICC)," Rahim said.

"Now they say that it is in a joint account operated by KPCC president Sunny Joseph and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan. If so, it should have been reflected in both their election affidavits. It has not," Rahim said. "So where has the money gone?"

Rahim said that the Muslim League, which has comparatively less influence in Kerala, had collected Rs 40 crore for Wayanad relief. "If the League could collect as much, imagine how much the Congress, with influence outside the country, would have mobilised," he said.

Rahim then termed the Congress fund collection a scam bigger than the scandal linked to the purchase of Bofors guns during Rajiv Gandhi's tenure. "In the Bofors, the kickback was Rs 36 crore. This is way bigger than that," he said.

Rahim was then asked a question. "What do you suspect? That Congress leaders have stolen the money? Or is it that the party has diverted the funds for other purposes?"

Here is how Rahim, who just seconds ago said this was a scam bigger than Bofors, responded: "We cannot level such an allegation at this stage. We can do so only after listening to their side," Rahim said. It was on further prodding that he came up with his set of suspicions.

The Congress has still not revealed the amount it had collected for the promised construction of 100 houses for the disaster-affected but keeps repeating that the accounts are proper.

The Opposition Leader said that the relief fund came to the joint account opened in his and the KPCC president's name. "A part of this money was used to purchase land for the 100 houses. The registration of the land (3.24 acres at Wayanad's Meppadi Kunnumpatta) has also been completed," Satheesan said.

Rahul Gandhi laid the foundation stone for the housing project on February 26. The plan is to complete 60 houses within six month. An additional 5.45 acres has been identified at Ezhanchira for the remaining houses.