THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The UDF has rallied behind IUML leader and former PWD minister V K Ebrahimkunju who was arrested in connection with the Palarivattom flyover scam case. The IUML leadership has termed the arrest politically motivated. UDF convener MM Hassan and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala held telephonic discussions with the Muslim League leadership. The Congress leadership too feels that the arrest of Ebrahimkunju is politically motivated.
The UDF leadership was caught unawares when the vigilance department officials landed at Ebrahimkunju's house at Aluva on Wednesday morning. Upon coming to know about the arrest, Hassan met Chennithala at Cantonment House. They held telephonic discussions with the remaining UDF leaders to take stock of the situation.
Chennithala targeted the Chief Minister and alleged that it was due to his pressure that Ebrahimkunju was arrested. He said Ebrahimkunju is the third UDF MLA to be targeted by the LDF government. But Chennithala warned Pinarayi Vijayan that if he is trying to weaken the UDF by coming up with vigilance cases, then the UDF would face it.
"The arrest of Ebrahimkunju is nothing but a bid to distract attention from the slew of corruption cases the LDF is currently facing. If not for the pressure from Pinarayi Vijayan, the former PWD minister would not have been arrested," said Chennithala.
Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said there was no proof to arrest his former cabinet colleague. Talking to reporters at Kottayam, Chandy alleged that the arrest was politically motivated. UDF convener Hassan alleged the surface of the Palarivattom bridge was damaged during the previous LDF government's tenure. He told The New Indian Express that the Left government continued to give the company behind the Palarivattom Bridge more contracts despite it coming under a cloud of smoke.
"Ebrahimkunju has been made a scapegoat so that the Left government can distract the people from the corruption they are immersed in. At the same time, the LDF government is keen to come up with propaganda that the previous UDF government has been practising corruption," said Hassan.