The latest to fall a victim to this malaise is none other than Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. In a statement that has outraged the people of Kerala, especially women, the Chief Minister has come out with a shocker on the investigation into the case involving abduction of and sexual assault on a popular south Indian actress.

Even as the investigation team is right on the job, Pinarayi has made a statement that the abduction and assault was planned by the main accused, ruling out the quotation angle! The statement has sent shockwaves across the state, besides touching off a wave of anger.

It must be mentioned that the actress herself, in her statement to the police had said that the main accused, who has since been arrested, himself had told her that he was doing as quotation job. That he changed his statement after being nabbed is a different matter.

The million dollar question is: what was the need for the Chief Minister to come out, in such tearing hurry, with such a statement even as the probe into the case was on? People cannot be blamed if they come to the conclusion that the intent of the CM is to influence the course of the probe and limit its scope.

In fact, there is already an uproar over Vijayan’s shocker. First to criticize the CM is Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee(KPCC) president V M Sudheeran. By making the kind of remarks he has made, the Chief Minister is trying to limit the scope of the investigation and subvert it, fumed Sudheeran.

In fact, the CM’s remark was the hot topic of discussion on various TV channels on Friday. CPI(M) leaders who are otherwise good at arguing their case during these discussions, however, cut a sorry figure in this particular debate and were struggling to defend the CM.

What makes it utterly indefensible is the fact that this stance of the CM is in glaring contrast to his stand while he was in the Opposition. CPI(M) leaders, including Vijayan had shouted themselves hoarse condemning the former CM Oommen Chandy’s ‘clean chit’ to former Finance Minister and Kerala Congress(M) chief K M Mani in the bar bribery case even as the investigation into that case was on!

To say that the CM’s shocking stand has not gone down well with the people at large is only to state the obvious. The perception that it was totally uncalled for the CM to make the statement he made. By doing so, he has pre-judged the issue and sent a message which is loud and clear to the investigating team: please rule out the quotation angle from your probe. Needless to say, it has sent tongues wagging that the attempt is to save certain influential people in the film world who are under a cloud of suspicion. The least the CM could have done – and should have done - was to refrain from making any statement which could prejudice the probe into the case.

In fact, the police has already taken the cue from the CM’s statement, it seems. Reports have come out that the police has already ruled out the quotation angle from the probe. Indications are that the C:PI(M) leaders, including the CM, will have to contend with, in the coming days, rising heat on the subject.

The CPI(M) leaders are not realizing the enormous damage the CM’s statement has inflicted on the party’s credibility and the Government’s earnest in getting at the truth. In the process, he has handed over to the opposition a powerful weapon to belabor the government.

Also, the people of Kerala are waiting for the stand of VS Achuthanandan in the matter. The CPI(M) leaders will have to do a lot of explaining on the CM’s statement, which has literally stirred a hornet’s nest. (IPA Service)