Solar scam: Congress high command asks Kerala leaders to keep mum

The Congress high command on Thursday directed its party workers in Kerala not to make any public comments on the solar scam case, a day after the Pinarayi Vijayan government decided to initiate a vigilance probe against former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and other party leaders in the Rs 7 crore case.

The party high command has asked its senior leaders including Chandy, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, KPCC president MM Hassan and veteran leader VM Sudheeran to reach Delhi for a meeting with party vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday evening.

The Congress party in Kerala over the years has been headed by factional leaders - with the current and majority faction led by Chandy and the other by Chennithala. In the solar scam, a majority of those to be proceeded against belong to the Chandy faction.

Read more: Kerala orders vigilance probe against ex-CM Chandy, Thiruvanchoor

Based on the legal opinion that the state government received in the solar scam judicial probe report, Pinarayi on Wednesday said criminal, corruption and even sexual assault case against Chandy, former ministers Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Aryadan Mohammed, Adoor Prakash and AP Anil Kumar would be registered.

Sairtha Nair had alleged she was sexually exploited by several UDF leaders. All those named in the case belong to the Congress, except for Jose K Mani of the Kerala Congress (M) group. 

Also read: Solar scam: Saritha Nair reveals who leaked her nude videos online

The others named in the case are legislator Hibi Eden, former MLAs Benny Behanan, PC Vishnunath, Thampanoor Ravi, Lok Sabha members Jose K Mani and KC Venugopal, former union minister Palanimanickam and party office-bearer N Subramanian.

A SIT, led by DGP Rajesh Diwan, has been set up to investigate the cases. State police chief Loknath Behra told reporters that once he gets the official order, by Friday, the probe would begin.

(With agency inputs)