The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretariat has decided to make the Kodakara hawala case a key issue in the byelections in Kerala. It has also called for a re-investigation into the case.
The secretariat meeting in Thrissur on Friday highlighted the need for effectively utilising the Kodakara case against the BJP in the Chelakkara, Palakkad, and Wayanad constituencies. Participants expressed concern over the allegations made by the United Democratic Front (UDF) claiming a deal between the BJP and the CPI(M) and stressed the need for urgent action to counter such claims.
The CPI(M) secretariat noted that the revelations made by BJP’s former office secretary Tirur Satheesh were serious and decided to check the legal scope for a reinvestigation.
Disclosure
The recent disclosure regarding the case, along with the controversies surrounding Union Minister of State for Petroleum Suresh Gopi, have reportedly placed the BJP on the defensive. The secretariat decided to utilise this situation against the BJP in the bypolls.
The secretariat meeting also sought to investigate whether the “effect” of the Kodakara scam benefited the BJP in the recent Lok Sabha elections in Thrissur.
CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan said that despite the police submitting a report on the case, the Directorate of Enforcement and the Income-Tax department had not acted on it. Only through a renewed investigation could the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP in the scam could be exposed. He said that the BJP might have engaged in similar activities in the byelections and demanded investigations by the ED and the I-T department into the matter.
‘Cong.-BJP deal’
Mr. Govindan said that though the Leader of the Opposition was alleging a deal between the CPI(M) and the BJP, the real deal was between the Congress and the BJP. He also accused the Leader of the Opposition of attempting to cover up the case.
In the Kodakara scam, accusations had earlier been raised about a potential cover-up bid by the government. The police had previously indicated that investigation had not yielded testimonies linking key BJP leaders with the case. However, with the recent revelations by Tirur Satheesh, crucial evidence had now emerged. The meeting assessed that if the government decided to proceed with a reinvestigation, it could significantly benefit the CPI(M) politically.
Published - November 01, 2024 08:53 pm IST
