Parties condemn Achuthanandan's comment on Royal House

Parties condemn Achuthanandan's comment on Royal House - Times Of India You are here: Home>CollectionsParties condemn Achuthanandan's comment on Royal HousePTI Aug 22, 2011, 10.34pm IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress, BJP as well as well as Hindu outifts in Kerala have flayed CPM veteran V S Achuthanandan for his remark that the head of the Travancore royal family had tried to smuggle out precious articles from Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple here, where a huge treasure trove was found in secret vaults.

"As leader of the opposition, he should have avoided such a remark," Chief minister Oommen Chandy said.

Slamming the Marxist leader, Information minister and congress leader K C Joseph sought to know whether the CPM leadership also agreed with Achuthanandan's allegation that the present head of the royal house Uthradam Tirunal Marthanda Varma had taken away precious articles in little vesels while returning after worshipping at the shrine.

Law minister and Kerala Congress (M) leader K M Mani said it was most inappropriate for Achuthanandan to have made such an insulting comment on the royal family without properly verifying the facts.

"There is no justification for hurling unfounded charges at the royal family members who have guarded the huge wealth like the apple of their eye for generations", Mani said.

Slamming the Marxist leader, information minister and congress leader K C Joseph sought to know whether the CPM leadership also agreed with Achuthanandan's allegation that the present head of the royal house Uthradam Tirunal Marthanda Varma had taken away precious articles in little vesels while returning after worshipping at the shrine.

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Vigilance probe ordered against Achuthanandan's son

Vigilance probe ordered against Achuthanandan's son - Times Of India You are here: Home>CollectionsVigilance probe ordered against Achuthanandan's sonPTI Jun 16, 2011, 08.03pm ISTTags:Oommen Chandy

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress-led UDF government in Kerala on Thursday ordered a vigilance probe into various allegations of corruption and irregularities against former chief minister VS Achuthanandan's son V A Arun Kumar.

The probe by Vigilance and anti-corruption Bureau would focus on various charges levelled against Kumar when the UDF was in Opposition including his foreign trips as a director of the state-run Institute of human resource development, official sources said.

The charges were levelled against Kumar towards the fag end of LDF rule by chief minister Oommen Chandy, who was then heading the Opposition UDF.

After Chandy gave the charges in writing, the LDF government had referred the matter to the state anti-corruption watchdog Lokayukta. However, the UDF had insisted on a vigilance probe into the issue holding that it was essential to bring out the truth.

The vigilance probe was ordered after withdrawing the matter from the Lokayukta.

The allegations included that Kumar had received Rs seven lakh from sandalwood factory owners to soften his father's stand against them and registration for PhD by submitting fake certificates.

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Land allotment to Achuthanandan's relative to be probed

Addressing reporters here after a cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said all the files related to the land transfer to T.K. Soman were perused by the cabinet before ordering a probe by the vigilance department.

The cabinet also decided to cancel the land allotment, he said.

The land transfer at Kasargode district involving Soman, a former defence official, took place last month at the fag end of Achuthanandan's tenure as chief minister.

"Normally when land is given to people in the category like Soman, it should not exceed more than an acre but he was given 2.33 acres. Secondly, if the value of land exceeds Rs.50,000, it should have the sanction of the cabinet. Thirdly, such land cannot be sold or transferred for 25 years after allotment," said Chandy.

He said there were indications that Soman was trying to sell the land allotted to him.

The Congress-led government earlier this month sought a report from the Kasargode collector on the allotment. The report pointed towards violations in the land transfer.

When Achuthanandan was asked about the collector's report, he said: "Don't you know for whom has the collector prepared the report."

Reacting to the Congress government's order, Left Democratic Front (LDF) leader and former revenue minister K.P. Rajendran said he welcomed the vigilance probe.

The vigilance probe ordered by Chandy comes close on the heels of a police probe ordered earlier into the missing 40,000 answer sheets of an entrance examination held to appoint assistants in the Kerala University in 2006.

After the list of successful candidates was prepared in 2008, when the LDF was in power, there were complaints that of the 160 assistants appointed, 60 were close relatives and friends of leaders in the LDF.

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