THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following the Kerala High Court decision letting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan off the hook in the SNC Lavalin case, the CM on Thursday launched a no-holds-barred attack against the Opposition UDF in the Assembly. Pinarayi recalled how he had been hounded in the name of the case even as he cautioned it could backfire if the probe extended to the deal’s preliminary stages.
Cashing in on an Opposition remark, Pinarayi spoke at length on the Lavalin saga and how he and the CPM had stood their ground. “However, I never had any doubts on the final outcome,” said a confident Pinarayi while reiterating he was the victim of a major conspiracy.
Pinarayi said during his brief tenure as the Power Minister, he had won considerable applause.
“Later some people tried to trap me. That’s how the conspiracy unfolded,” he said while referring to the CAG report and Vigilance findings, with even the Vigilance Director being shunted out overnight. Pinarayi reminded the Opposition what could happen if the probe extended to the original deal.
Referring to the court’s decision to continue the case against the three KSEB officers, the CM said they were part of the original deal. “This leads to the original deal. The court has decided to retain the charges against the three officers who headed the KSEB at the time of the original deal. If it goes one step further, where will it reach? All of you know where will it lead to,” said a beaming Pinarayi dropping clear hints the UDF brass too may face the music.
Curiously CPM veteran VS Achuthanandan, who had once relentlessly fought Pinarayi in the Lavalin case, made his entry when an elated CM was holding centre stage firing salvos at his political adversaries. Interestingly, the nonagenarian left when Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala was returning the salvo asking Pinarayi to watch out for those who had stabbed him from the back, in an apparent reference to VS.