Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 2 (IANS): In under six months in office, the V.D. Satheesan government in Kerala has ordered investigations into 16 major cases, 12 of which directly concern the previous LDF government and the CPI-M. The scale of the investigations has brought back memories of May 2016, when Pinarayi Vijayan took office after defeating the Congress-led UDF government of Oommen Chandy. One of the first steps taken by the incoming Vijayan government was to scrutinise all Cabinet decisions taken by the Chandy government from January 1, 2016, until the announcement of the Assembly elections in March that year.
Interestingly, Satheesan, along with senior Congress leader V.M. Sudheeran, had then strongly questioned several of those decisions. However, the scrutiny did not establish any wrongdoing in the Cabinet decisions examined. A decade later, Satheesan, now Chief Minister, has embarked on a series of investigations into decisions and controversies linked to the previous government. The most prominent among them is the Vigilance probe into financial transactions of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), a major infrastructure funding agency of the previous LDF government. A special police team is also examining alleged financial irregularities connected with the proposed visit of Lionel Messi’s Argentina football team to Kerala.
The Crime Branch is probing alleged irregularities in PSC examinations and appointments, including recruitment to senior posts. An SIT is also investigating allegations of attacks on Youth Congress and KSU protesters in front of the Secretariat. Other probes include alleged financial irregularities involving former Kannur district panchayat President P.P. Divya, irregularities in the Chevayur Service Cooperative Bank election, the Vadakara ‘Kafir’ screenshot controversy and the case relating to protests during a flight carrying the former Chief Minister. The Vigilance investigation into the CMRL-Exalogic financial dealings, involving Vijayan and others, remains temporarily stalled after the High Court stayed further proceedings. The government says the investigations are being initiated after legal scrutiny and necessary procedures. More cases could come under the scanner in the coming days.
The sheer number of probes within such a short period has made the government’s approach to allegations against its predecessor a major political talking point. –IANS sg/vd
