IUML soft-pedalled on Damodaran

Thiruvananthapuram: Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala refused to move an adjournment motion in the Assembly on Tuesday against the appointment of Mr M.K. Damodaran as the chief minister’s legal advisor under pressure from the Muslim League, it learnt.

Mr Damodaran had appeared for IUML leader P. K. Kunhalikutty in the ice cream parlour case and for INTUC president R. Chandrasekharan recently in the cashew corporation case.

The  sensational sex scandal case had surfaced in 1997 in Kozhikode where an ice cream parlour was used as a cover to lure young girls into a sex racket. One of the girls, a minor, had then alleged that she was molested by Mr Kunhalikutty, forcing him out of the ministry in 2005.

“While the legal proceedings were underway earlier, the then Advocate-General Damodaran had appeared for Kunhalikutty while former Oppsition Leader V. S. Achuthanandan had filed the case for the girls who had been sexually exploited.  So how can Kunhalikutty move against his lawyer who saved him?  This has in fact put the Congress in a quandary,”  said a Congress leader.  

 KPCC president V.M.  Sudheeran said  on Tuesday that the Opposition had failed to move an adjournment motion and indirectly criticised Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala for it.   

Mr Chennithala had told  Mr Sudheeran in advance that the Congress would have to agree to  the Muslim League decision, it is learnt. But Mr Sudheeran wanted  the Congress to be firm against Mr Damodaran’s appointment as legal advisor to Mr  Pinarayi Vijayan.

“Sudheeran clarified before the reporters on Wednesday that the issue would be examined.  Now it  will figure in the  UDF meeting on July 25” said another  Congress leader.

It may be recalled that  BJP state president Kummanam Rajasekharan had  filed a petition against Mr Damodaran in the High Court.