Chandy pops up as new target of Achuthanandan

Arjun Raghunath
The New Indian Express
15 Mar 2011

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: While digging out the alleged corruption in the palmolein import deal, comrade V S Achuthanandan would have never ever dreamt that the case would create this much repercussions in Kerala politics.

Though K Karunakaran was the target of Achuthanandan while he took up the issue two decades ago, the deadly cannon in the form of palmolein case has already fired on Keralacadre IAS officer P J Thomas and is now ominously trained at UDF's prospective Chief Minister candidate Oommen Chandy.

P J Thomas was shown the door recently by the Supreme Court from the post of Central Vigilance Commissioner as he was an accused in the palmolein case. Thomas, who was a former Food and Civil Supplies Secretary in Kerala, is the eighth accused in the case.

Now it seems to be the turn of Oommen Chandy who is the 23rd witness in the case. With the new twist in the twodecadesold case coinciding with the upcoming Assembly elections, the LDF hopes to take maximum advantage out of it. Hence, the LDF cadres need to be thankful to Achuthanandan for digging out the scam.

The LDF has already gained political advantage over the UDF from the Idamalayar corruption case in which Kerala Congress (B) leader R Balakrishna Pillai was sentenced to oneyear imprisonment. The Idamalayar case was also fought by Achuthanandan. The fresh developments in the ice cream parlour case involving IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty was also a setback to the UDF.

Achuthanandan, while being the Opposition Leader, had raised the allegation of corruption in the import of palmolein by the then Congress government led by K Karunakaran during early 1990s. Around 15,000 tonnes of palmolein were imported from Singaporebased Power and Energy Corporation to Kerala. The LDF Government which came to power afterwards ordered a Vigilance investigation into it.

The Vigilance and AntiCorruption Bureau had filed chargesheet in the case in 2001 against eight persons, including Karunakaran, the then Food and Civil Supplies Minister T H Musthafa and P J Thomas. The case, however, remained caught in a legal tangle for nearly a decade after Karunakaran approached the Supreme Court and stayed the proceedings. With the death of Karunakaran, the stay got vacated and the case is once again in the limelight.

Though the actual target of Achuthanandan was Karunakaran, the latter did not face any major backlash in his career owing to the palmolein case, it has caused damage to unintended figures such as Oommen Chandy and Thomas.