Thiruvananthapuram: While the CPM central leadership preferred a judicial probe into the bribe charges against finance minister K.M. Mani, Opposition Leader V.S. Achuthanandan stuck to his demand for investigation by the premier investigation agency CBI.
The party’s central leadership is not in favour of a CBI probe as it suspects the impartiality of the agency. But Mr Achuthanandan remains undeterred. He has reiterated his position that under the present circumstances, among all investigating agencies, only the CBI could ensure a fair probe into corruption cases.
“Our secretariat is meeting tomorrow to take a decision on the issue,’’ said CPM politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and claimed that there was no confusion on the issue since everyone in the party wanted a comprehensive and credible probe.
Meanwhile, the CPI has objected to the CPM’s move to unilaterally decide the LDF stand on the issue. It has written to LDF convenor Vaikom Viswam demanding an emergency meeting of the front leadership.
The CPI, which is in favour of the LDF taking a common stand, is all set to demand a judicial probe at the front’s meeting.
Amid all this drama, the Opposition Leader again reiterated his demand for a CBI probe saying that even the Supreme Court had held that corruption cases involving chief ministers and ministers should be investigated by the central agency. “It is in this backdrop that I approached the court for handing over the solar fraud investigations to the CBI,’’ he said in a statement.
Sources said CPM came in for sharp criticism at the CPI state secretariat meeting on Tuesday with the party leaders asking the Marxists to shed their ‘soft' approach towards K M Mani. The CPI leaders pointed out that the divergent stand taken by CPM leaders on the issue of probe into bribe charges against Mani had created confusion in the minds of people.
The CPI leaders said there was no question of accommodating Mani’s party in LDF .