THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The Left government’s proposed ordinance to amend the Lok Ayukta Act has led to an open tussle between ruling Left parties CPM and CPI. The CPM-CPI discord over the ordinance has now spilled out in public, with CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and CPI state chief Kanam Rajendran locking horns over the issue.
While Kodiyeri took pains to justify the decision saying that the current Act has provisions for the Centre to weaken a ruling government, Kanam said such a move should be resisted with the support of the masses. The CPI further sought to know why the urgency of bringing in such an ordinance abruptly without discussions within the LDF.
Drawing flak over the ordinance, CPM leadership on Friday came out with new arguments to justify the state government move. Kodiyeri came up with the party’s new arguments in favour of the same through an article in party mouthpiece Deshabhimani. The article was written in an apparent response to both Opposition UDF and Left ally CPI for their criticism in this regard.
Kodiyeri said the Lok Ayukta Act has provisions for the Union Government to destabilise or weaken a democratically elected state government using the Governor. It’s in this backdrop that the state government brought in an ordinance.
“The India that existed at the time of E K Nayanar, who brought in the ordinance, has undergone drastic changes. The ruling party at the Centre has been openly violating Constitutional values and norms. Though the Nayanar Government brought in the legislation with good intentions, the Centre can try to weaken the state government using this as a loophole. The UDF and the BJP are engaged in mere verbosity,” he mocked.
Meanwhile CPI leadership openly rejected Kodiyeri’s claims. Kanam sought to know what was the urgency of bringing in such an ordinance in such an abrupt manner. Though the proposed ordinance to amend Kerala Lok Ayukta Act was cleared by the cabinet, the CPI is unhappy that no discussions were held even within the Left front. The leadership is also unhappy with the party ministers who did not bring it to the leadership’s notice.