Thiruvananthapuram, Jan. 28: Kerala's political scene plunged into chaos today with a vigilance court ordering that an FIR be registered against chief minister Oommen Chandy in connection with what has come to be known as the solar scam.
The court, in Thrissur district, asked the vigilance department to investigate claims made yesterday by Saritha S. Nair, one of two persons accused of swindling investors across the state in the name of installing solarpanels in their homes.
Nair said she had paid over Rs 2 crore in bribes to Chandy and power minister Aryadan Mohammed through their personal assistants to secure favours for projects. Both had denied the allegations but the order gave the Left and the BJP ammo to target Chandy.
BJP Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman told reporters in New Delhi that Chandy had no "locus standi" to continue in office.
CPM veteran V.S. Achuthanandan, leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, warned of "strong protests" if Chandy and Mohammed did not step down immediately.
Achuthanandan's deputy, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, asked them to follow the example of their cabinet colleague K. Babu, who had stepped down as excise minister on January 23 following a directive by the same court to register a case against him in the bar bribery scam.
However, the state high court today suspended the January 23 order against Babu, reportedly saying the vigilance judge should have waited till it adjudicated on similar pleas pending before it. The observation came as music for the government, which interpreted it as vindication of its stand that the vigilance judge had acted in haste.# Chandy received support from the central leadership. AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said there was no reason for Chandy to resign"The CM and his colleagues have not taken any wrong steps. The government has not suffered any monetary loss," he said.
Speaking to reporters in Kozhikode, Chandy said he was a victim of a "conspiracy" by a section of bar owners who had joined hands with the Opposition to target his government that has closed down all bars except those in five-star hotels.
