THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition on Tuesday demanded a judicial investigation into jailed former Minister R Balakrishna Pillai’s alleged phone call to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. The Opposition alleged that the government probe into the phone calls made by Balakrishna Pillai, jailed in connection with the Edamalayar case, was an eyewash. A sitting judge of the High Court should head the investigation, Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan said. He also reiterated the demand for a CBI inquiry into the attack on R Krishnakumar, the teacher of RV HS, Valakam.Reacting to the Opposition charge, Oommen Chandy stuck to his stand that he had neither called Balakrishna Pillai nor received calls from him. But he admitted that a call was made to the mobile phone of his private secretary Sreekumar.A 93-second conversation had taken place. But even as the Chief Minister stated that the incident would be investigated, he challenged the Opposition to prove that he had spoken to Pillai. “If I wanted to speak to him, I would have done so legally and in public. I met him in jail as Opposition Leader after getting permission. As Chief Minister, I met him only once; when he was on parole at his Valakam house,’’ Chandy said.He said that a call was made to Sreekumar’s mobile at 5.55 pm on September 24. At that precise moment, he himself was in Kottayam attending public functions and Sreekumar’s mobile was in Mulakkizha near Changanassery, Chandy said.It should also be suspected that the intention is to divert public attention from the real issue; the vicious attack on Krishnakumar, he said.OPPN DISRUPTS ASSEMBLYThe Opposition disrupted Assembly proceedings after Speaker G Karthikeyan refused to admit an adjournment motion on Balakrishna Pillai’s alleged phone call to Chandy. Since Pillai’s phone calls were the subject of an adjournment motion on Monday, the topic can only be admitted as a submission, the Speaker said. The Opposition objected to this. Deputy leader of Opposition Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who sought leave for the motion, said the phone call to Chandy’s PS was a new disclosure and the plea should be admitted. With the Speaker refusing to budge, the Opposition stormed the Well of the House twice. By 9.45 am, the Speaker rushed through the business and adjourned the House for the day. The Assembly will sit again on Monday.
Comments
0 comment