EP Jayarajan resigns: UDF dithered but LDF acted

Thiruvananthapuram: The resignation of E.P. Jayarajan as industries minister as soon as the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau started investigation into an allegation of nepotism against him has very little precedence, especially in the immediate past as when ministers chose to cling on to their positions despite courts ordering investigations against them.

Former chief minister Oommen Chandy refused to resign when the vigilance court ordered further investigation into the corruption case related to palmolein import in which the opposition alleged he had a role. Mr Chandy instead handed over the vigilance portfolio to his confidant Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan and continued in his position.

Mr. Chandy also resisted the strong demand for his resignation in connection with the solar scam. He kept on reiterating that there was no evidence to link him to the scam, even though he had to sack members of his personal staff for their alleged links with the prime accused .

Former finance minister K.M. Mani also resisted opposition pressure to quit when the vigilance registered a case against him in the bar bribery case. Mr Mani gave up only when the High Court came up with harsh remarks against him.

Oommen Chandy government witnessed a drama when then excise minister K. Babu submitted his resignation to Mr Chandy after the vigilance court ordered registration of a first information report on his alleged role in the bar bribery scam. But Mr Chandy managed to keep the resignation letter for a few days until the High Court stayed the vigilance court order. And Mr Babu promptly withdrew his resignation.

Then ministers Adoor Prakash, M.K. Muneer, Anoop Jacob, V. K. Ebrahimn Kunju and C.N. Balakrishnan were the others in the Oommen Chandy ministry who faced vigilance probes based on court orders on private petitions. But the demands for their resignations were nipped in the bud by the UDF maintaining that they were not ‘found guilty’.

Mr Jacob had faced a bunch of vigilance probes including irregularities in appointments to consumer forums, corruption in ration depot allocation and manipulations in the registration department. While Mr Prakash faced probes pertaining to land scam involving controversial godman Santosh Madhavan, Mr Balakrishnan faced probe in connection with irregularities at Consumerfed. Mr Kunju faced probe in connection with allegation of allotting 50 cents land of Kerala Water Authority at Kalamaserry to a private party while Mr Muneer was in the dock for irregularities in road work at Malappuram.