On expected lines, the threat of Government Chief Whip P C George to quit the post with Cabinet rank was blown over after a meeting he had with Kerala Congress chief K M Mani on Wednesday afternoon.
While George was repeating that it was for the party to take a decision on his resignation, Mani said that there was no need for George to resign. ‘’Circumstances are not there for his resignation,’’ Mani said. ‘’Both K M Mani and the Congress have asked me not to quit,’’ claimed George. George had disclosed on Tuesday that he had sought the permission of Mani to resign two weeks ago itself.
He also maintained that had he been the Chief Minister in place of Chandy, he would have quit and Chandy’s continuance would only worsen things further. Congress MP P T Thomas took exception to his statement and asked George to resign from his post, without speaking too much about morality in politics. George also blasted his critics within the UDF and the Kerala Congress by stating that his decision to quit was because he did not want the company of ‘womanisers’ and the ‘corrupt.’ However, George swallowed his provocative words after the meet with Mani. ‘’What I said was that had it been me in place of Chandy, I would have quit. A notorious team surrounding an innocent person like the Chief Minister is trying to oust him,’’ George said, making a volte-face. He also said that the remarks of the High Court in the Solar case was not against the Chief Minister but against the Home Minister.
“If anyone has to resign, it should be the Home Minister. The comments were made by the court against the investigation team. Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan is the one who should resign,’’ George said. The Chief Minister said that he had no issues with George and it was the freedom of each individual to resign or not. P T Thomas, who had also criticised Mani for not restricting George, had stated that George had hatched a conspiracy with Opposition.