THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala has raised a new allegation against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the IT department for appointing a US citizen of Kerala origin as a senior fellow in the Kerala Startup Mission. Reiterating his demand for Pinarayi’s resignation, Chennithala also called for the arrest of tainted bureaucrat and former secretary of the CM M Sivasankar.
Inaugurating the Youth Congress protest demanding the chief minister’s resignation at Malayinkeezhu here on Thursday, Chennithala said the US citizen’s appointment flouted all norms. “I am challenging the CM to explain her appointment. How can the interests of the startup companies in the state be protected (with a US citizen in the mission)? The CM has no right to continue in office as scores of CPM well-wishers have been provided with jobs in the IT department,” said Chennithala.
Meanwhile, UDF has decided to intensify its protests against the CM and his office in connection with the gold smuggling case. The Opposition suspects foul play in the probe into the case as suspect Swapna Suresh has not been arrested even after four days.
Chennithala alleged that Pinarayi is scared of Sivasankar. The CM has no right to continue in office as he has been backing a tainted official like Sivasankar when he should have been suspended from service and a case filed against him. He demanded that Pinarayi and the LDF government should step down and seek the people’s mandate.
The day also saw AICC organising general secretary K C Venugopal, MP, refuting the allegations raised by BJP leader B Gopalakrishnan that it was he who had helped Swapna get a job with Air India SATS during his tenure as a Union minister in the UPA government. Venugopal challenged the BJP leader to prove his claim, saying it is a political ploy to save the real culprits behind the smuggling case by raising fake allegations against him.