THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A special public prosecutor (SPP) should be appointed in the case related to the Assembly ruckus incident of 2015 for ensuring a fair and independent trial, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has said in a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Chennithala, who has from the start opposed the CPI(M) government's attempts to withdraw the case, has suggested the name of the SPP who is handling the Soumya murder and the actress sexual assault cases to be appointed to lead the prosecution in this issue also, a release issued by him said.
He has, in the release, said that since the ruling party in the state was attempting to withdraw the Assembly ruckus case, if it was argued in the trial court by any prosecutor or lawyer in government service or those who sided with it in withdrawing the case, the matter would be "turned into a farce".
He also said that appointing a lawyer or prosecutor in government service to argue the matter "will defeat the justice system and subvert the public interest".
Chennithala has further said that even the Supreme Court had strongly criticised the government's attempt to withdraw the case and it was "unfortunate" that the government was not taking any action against the accused in the case where public property was destroyed.
The UDF-led opposition has been for the past few days demanding the resignation of General Education Minister V Sivankutty, who is accused of destroying Assembly property during the ruckus.
The opposition has also boycotted Assembly proceedings a few times.
The Chief Minister had categorically rejected their demand saying that the court had not found any particular individual guilty or named anyone and so the issue of resignation is not coming up.
Justifying the government act of approaching various courts including the apex court with a plea seeking withdrawal of the case involving the Left front MLAs, he had said taking criminal action against a legislator in the name of protest inside the Assembly was something generally unheard of in the country.
In the backdrop of such a stand, Chennithala has said that it was necessary to appoint a SPP so that the case is not subverted and to ensure justice.