High Court verdict: Satheesan’s credibility takes serious drubbing

By K Raveendran | Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who came to power with the image of being ‘the prince of principles’ has suffered the biggest collateral damage from the Kerala High Court verdict against former chief minister and leader of opposition Pinarayi Vijayan and his family in the CMRL Exalogic pay-off case.

Thursday’s division bench ruling represents a legal setback for Vijayan, his daughter T Veena and son-in-law P A Mohammed Riyas. Politically, however, the proceedings have exposed an uncomfortable contradiction between the UDF government’s election campaign and its position before the court.

The state government’s defence of what is widely seen as delaying tactics in dealing with the serious charges contained in Enforcement Directorate official letter to the state government has created big embarrassment for the ruling front and Satheesan personally. The government’s decision to conduct a preliminary inquiry rather than immediately register a First Information Report following information supplied by the ED has been emphatically rejected by the court. And in the process, Satheesan and his government stand thoroughly exposed.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Advocate General K Gopalakrishna Kurup Jaju’s arguments overlapped with those presented by counsel representing Vijayan and his family. The government stand in the case before the single bench, which ordered the registration of an FIR, had also raised eyebrows.

For Satheesan, whose political standing rests substantially on his reputation for taking principled stand on various issues, the developments in the case have created an awkward test of consistency.

Satheesan and his Congress-led UDF had made allegations involving Vijayan’s family a prominent part of its campaign against the LDF. Its subsequent handling of the same controversy has therefore invited scrutiny over whether its commitment to accountability has changed after assuming office.

The government’s courtroom position is particularly sensitive because Satheesan had previously defended his administration’s measured approach, maintaining that it would neither act with undue haste nor pursue personal vengeance against Vijayan and his family.

The division bench verdict is not only a personal setback, it also has political implications that might make his position within the party more vulnerable. A section of the ruling party has already expressed resentment over the Satheesan government’s approach towards the corruption charges against Pinarayi Vijayan. Congress MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan, known to be close to AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, has fired the first salvo, saying the issue needs to be discussed in party forums.

Satheesan is already facing heat over his ‘unilateral’ style of decision making, much like his predecessor, prompting UDF convenor Adoor Prakash to complain to the AICC against lack of coordination between the government and the party. Satheesan’s response in some certain cases, including sponsored helicopter trips, has caused embarrassment to the party and the government.

Satheesan’s challenge is sharpened by the difference between defending the government’s institutional powers and defending decisions that could delay criminal proceedings against prominent political figures. The government approach in these cases has created a public perception that the delaying tactics may also have to do with names of UDF leaders, including his own, appearing in the controversial diary of CMRL boss Sasidharan Kartha, with amounts recorded against names of beneficiaries.

(The article High Court verdict: Satheesan’s credibility takes serious drubbing appeared first on Free Press Journal.)

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Also published on Medium.