By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The opposition parties in Kerala Friday met Governor R.S. Gavai to seek his intervention to speed up prosecution in SNS Lavalin corruption case in which ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan is an accused.
“The people of Kerala are eagerly waiting to know what is going to happen in this sensational case of corruption. Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan is helpless in this aspect and hence we had no other way but to ask the governor,” Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Oomen Chandy told reporters here.
Vijayan has been accused of wrongly awarding contracts to Canadian company SNC Lavalin for renovating two hydro-power projects when he was power minister of the state 12 years ago.
The opposition March 5 met Achuthanandan on Central Bureau of Investigation’s petition to prosecute Vijayan.
On Feb 4, the government sought legal opinion on the CBI’s petition seeking the governor’s sanction to prosecute Vijayan, an arch rival of Achuthanandan.
According to rules, the governor’s permission is necessary to prosecute a minister or a former minister.
The state cabinet then gave three weeks’ time to get the opinion from Advocate General C.P. Sudhakara Prasad.
Chandy said that time is over and the government is purposely delaying the sanction to prosecute Vijayan.
“Hence the state government is now first accused in the case by failing to do their job,” said Chandy.