The latest political bombshell that has rattled the UDF camp is the disclosure, made by a TV channel, that the report the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau (VACB) submitted to the Thiruvananthapuram Vigilance Court which has ordered reinvestigation of the palmolein case, had failed to mention the legal advice given by the Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) that the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy can be made an accused in the case!

What is even more startling is that although the report was ‘ready’ on May 7, 2011, the VACB submitted it to the court only on the afternoon of May 13, 2011. The reason why it did so is clear: by May 13 afternoon, counting in the state assembly elections were over and it had become clear that the UDF would come to power. Had the report included the SPP’s legal advice, it would have straightaway plunged the new UDF government, to be headed by Mr Chandy, into a first-class political crisis. The TV channel says this vital piece of information was deliberately withheld from the report to the court to please the new political masters.

The Special Public Prosecutor had made out his case on the basis of information he had. Mr Oommen Chandy himself had said at a press conference he held in January 19, 2005 that he knew everything about the palmolein import case.

Mr Chandy had also claimed that the palmolein import deal had to be rushed through in view of the urgency of the demand for it. He was also aware, according to the fresh revelations, that tenders had not been called for import of palmolein and that the 15 per cent service charges had not been negotiated.

Mr Chandy has all along been claiming that he had not seen the file which was with the Finance Department. Here, former finance minister and CPM leader Thomas Isaac has a poser for Mr Chandy: how can he take such an important decision(about the palmolein import) without even seeing the file?

Besides, the then food minister Mr T H Mustafa, one of the accused in the case, is on record that that there was no need to import palmolein in such a tearing hurry. That knocks the bottom of Chandy’s claim that the oil had to be imported on an emergency basis. Mr Mustafa has also admitted that he knew something was wrong but kept quiet as everyone else was keen on clinching the palmolein import deal.

Neither the Congress nor the UDF has come out with any convincing explanation, so far, on the legal advice tendered by the Special Public Prosecutor. All that Mr Chandy has said about the issue is that he was not aware of it.

A fired up Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) has lost no time in twisting the knife in the wound. The LDF held on August 23, a massive march to the secretariat in the Kerala capital and statewide demonstrations demanding Mr Oommen Chandy’s resignation in the wake of the fresh disclosures.

Likewise, the fresh disclosures in the infamous ice cream parlour case in which the present Industries Minister P K Kunhalikkutty is the key figure, have also added to the acute discomfiture of the UDF in general and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the Congress’s ally in the front, in particular.

Mr K A Rauf, co-brother-turned-foe of Mr Kunhalikkutty, has revealed in a CD that the latter had asked him to secure the help of retired judge M A Nizar to undermine the ice cream parlour case by influencing the then judge Padmanabhan. Incidentally, Nizar headed the commission that probed the Kasargode police firing and made a highly critical report against the IUML for its dubious role in the riots that necessitated the firing. Kunhaliukkutty also wanted Nizar to do something to stop the campaign launched by noted poet Sugathakumari against him in the case, Rauf claimed, adding that Mr Nizar refused to oblige Kunhalikkutty. That is why the Nizar Commission has been dissolved by the present UDF Government, he said.

The IUML camp, has, however, denied Rauf’s allegation that the party had tried for a patch-up between Kunahlikkutty and Rauf. The party said that Rauf wanted some IUML leaders to help him evolve a compromise with Kunhalikkutty and save him from a land-grab case registered against him (Rauf) by the Maharashtra Police. It was further alleged that in his meeting with Rauf recently, opposition leader V S Achuthanandan had asked him to speak against some CPM leaders. VS has, however, denied the charge, saying that it was an attempt by Kunhalikkutty to divert attention from the adverse report of the Kasargode judicial commission and fresh revelations in the ice cream parlour case.

It may be mentioned that attempts to undermine the ice cream parlour case gained force after the announcement by the team investigating the case that it would be necessary to interrogate industries minister P K Kunhalikkutty in the case.

Latest reports have it that the Maharashtra police have written to the Kerala police in connection with the case against Rauf in that state. Observers see in this a determined effort to have Rauf arrested and remove him from the scene so that the ice cream parlour case loses its sting and die a natural death.

Whatever the denouement, the fresh revelations in the palmolein and ice cream parlour cases have unnerved the UDF. That explains the concerted efforts to undermine both the palmolein and ice cream parlour cases, assert the LDF. Coming days could witness more revelations and deepening of the crisis in the UDF. (IPA Service)