Three days after the meeting, the mystery surrounding CPM leader and former Devaswom Minister Katakampalli Surendran’s July 1 meeting with Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala continues to deepen. Even now, neither leader has offered any convincing explanation for the 15-minute closed-door interaction at a time when the Sabarimala gold loot case is at a crucial stage.
The timing of the meeting has fuelled speculation over whether it was intended to divert attention from the real issue—the ongoing investigation into the alleged scam.
The Special Investigation Team (SIT) has already included S. Prashant, former Travancore Devaswom Board President and prominent CPM leader, in the list of the accused.
Katakampalli Surendran himself remains at the centre of the political controversy surrounding the Sabarimala gold loot case. He was interrogated by the Special Investigation Team over his alleged association with Unnikrishnan Potti, the prime accused in the case.
He was not alone when he met Ramesh Chennithala. A friend accompanied him, and the meeting lasted about 15 minutes. While interacting with the media, he did not speak explicitly about the purpose of the meeting and reportedly said that he had come only for a minor recommendation.
Interestingly, he came and returned on his scooter claiming his car driver was unavailable. That may be understandable, but he was riding without a helmet.
The mysterious meeting vindicates the BJP’s allegation that the INDI Alliance is developing in Kerala day by day. Both parties appear determined to prevent the BJP from emerging as a clear alternative political force capable of challenging both the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF).
The meeting between the two senior leaders also raises questions over why the Congress appears to have slowed the pace of the investigation into the massive gold scam.
As the alleged Congress link to the loot becomes clearer day by day, both Fronts, described as ‘friends’, seem to be working overtime to protect each other’s interests. The meeting between the senior INDI Alliance leaders may well be only the tip of the iceberg.
A former MLA, former Minister and senior CPM leader rode his scooter without a helmet in broad daylight in Tiruvananthapuram, the state capital.
Though the former Minister came to meet the Home Minister, the de facto and de jure head of the state’s law and order machinery, he himself violated the law by riding a two-wheeler without wearing a helmet.
He did not appear to have an iota of hesitation in violating the law in front of hundreds of people. If an ordinary citizen commits such a violation, the police would stop him and impose a penalty. Here, all are equal, but some appear to be more equal than others. This appears to reflect the clout the CPM still wields within the police force.
