The Vishala I group led by Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala has squarely blamed Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who belongs to the rival A group headed by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, for the acquittal of the accused.

Chennithala himself fired the first salvo by saying that it was a matter of serious concern that 20 of the accused have been acquitted, adding that he expected the Government to file an appeal.

KPCC general secretary N Subramanian, a close aide of Chennithala, added fuel to the fire, saying that some witnesses had turned hostile because of the dismal failure of the prosecution. Incidentally, most of the prosecution witnesses were CPI(M) sympathizers.

Both Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the Home Minister have defended the police claiming that there was nothing wrong with the investigation. The Home Minister retaliated by pointing out that the prosecutor in the case was a prominent I group leader!

The Home Minister’s assertion has escalated the groupism with prominent I group leaders K Muralidharan, MLA, and K Sudhakaran, Kannur MP, demanding a CBI inquiry in the case. The acquittal shows that the investigation was not on the right path. There is need for a CBI probe as the people have lost their confidence in the state police, said both Murali and Sudhakaran.

The demand constitutes a direct attack on the Home Minister, who has come under tremendous pressure in the wake of the acquittal. The coming days could witness a further increase in-group rivalry with the I group leaders determined to take up the matter with the Congress High Command, too. As a matter of fact, some I group leaders are demanding that the Home portfolio must now be handed over to Chennithala, with Radhakrishnan having failed to handle the Chandrashekharan murder case properly.

The anger of the I group leaders is understandable as the acquittal has deprived the party of a powerful campaign plank against the CPI(M) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. This, along with the damaging disclosures in the solar scam, would further affect the party’s prospects in the parliamentary polls due next year, fear the I group leaders.

Even the allies of the Congress in the UDF coalition are unhappy at the turn of events. Allies like the IUML and the KC(M) in particular feel that the acquittal has come as a morale booster for the CPI(M) in particular and the LDF in general. It would be a Herculean task for the UDF to regain the political initiative in the changed circumstances, they point out.

Understandably, there is jubilation in the CPI(M) camp over the acquittal. CPI(M) state secretariat Pinarayi Vijayan has welcomed the verdict claiming that it vindicates the party’s stance that CPI(M) supporters had been falsely implicated in the TP murder case.

Whatever the final judgment in the case, there is denying the fact the acquittal of 20 accused has given the CPI(M) a shot in its arm. Needless to say, the ‘victory’ would strengthen its resolve of the party and the Left Democratic Front(LDF) led by it, which has decided to resume its agitation against the CM from October 1 with redoubled vigour.

The verdict also highlights the flaws in the law and the urgent need for a comprehensive legislation to protect witnesses in important cases. The Congress leaders have claimed that the witnesses turned hostile because of the intimidatory tactics of the CPI(M) and the failure of the prosecution to provide adequate protection to them.

Be that as it may, the verdict would, in the coming days further vitiate Congress politics. With the Congress High Command, which has so far failed to issue any firm command to ensure discipline in the groupism-plagued party, difficult days are ahead for the Congress and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Government. (IPA Service)