Kerala opposition seeks action against Chandy over sexual allegation

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala opposition leaders, led by Communist Party of India Marxist veteran, V.S. Achuthanandan have demanded that chief minister Oommen Chandy be “brought before the law”, after a letter by solar power scam-accused Saritha S. Nair suggested that she was sexually exploited by Chandy at his official residence, the Cliff House.

Chandy was quick to deny the charges.

“It is part of a conspiracy against me. This is a last-ditch effort to bring down my government,” he said.

The 24-page letter was exposed by a television channel and Nair confirmed she had indeed written the letter though she was not willing to discuss its contents.

“Chandy has misused his office. There is no reason to disbelieve Saritha S. Nair,” Achuthanandan said on Monday.

The opposition leader demanded that Chandy offer an apology adding, if he claims the allegations are untrue, he had a responsibility to prove that.

Achuthanandan said women in Kerala should “give an appropriate response to the man who misused a woman who approached him for business purposes, as part of her livelihood”.

“There has not been an instance in Kerala history before, when the official administrative machinery has been misused for immoral purposes,” Achuthanandan said.

Chandy retorted, “Anyone can raise an allegation. That is what is happening in Kerala today. What people examine is the relation between the allegation and the truth”.

Ironically, the sexual exploitation charge against the chief minister came just a day after Chandy returned from Delhi, after having made the party high command decide the list of candidates according to his wishes.

In the process, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president, V.M. Sudheeran was humbled, with his suggestion that ‘tainted’ leaders and those who have contested four or more times be denied tickets for the assembly election this time, being dumped.