CPI(M) hand in glove with BJP in Kerala, says KPCC president Sudhakaran

Slamming the CPI(M), Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran underscored that he was arrested because of an ‘understanding’ between BJP and CPI(M) in the state. Sudhakaran was arrested and later released on bail on Friday, 25 June 2023, just hours after the Opposition meeting ended in Bihar’s Patna on the same day.

Sudhakaran was questioned for seven hours on Friday in a case related to fake antique dealer Monson Mavunkal. He was released on bail based on a Kerala High Court directive after furnishing a bond of Rs 50,000 with two sureties of the same amount.

Speaking exclusively to National Herald, Sudhakaran said the CPI(M) national leadership including Sitaram Yechury gives statements in favour of Opposition unity, but party’s leaders in Kerala want to show that they are against it. “This definitely means that the Kerala unit of CPI(M) is against the party joining the Opposition front. The state unit of CPI(M) has no ideological vision,” added Sudhakaran.

The Kannur MP reiterated that the police will not be able to find anything as he has not committed a crime. “I have no fear of CPI(M)’s action and I will face all the challenges being put forth by them. CPI(M) has slapped cases against me at BJP’s behest,” he said.

“Monson has not given me any money, nor have I asked him for any donation either. All this is nothing but baseless allegations. The complainants claimed money was given in 2018, when I was not even a Member of Parliament,” said Sudhakaran. Mavunkal was arrested in September 2021 following a complaint from six persons that he had duped them to the tune of ₹10 crore.

Questioning the CPI(M)’s intention, the KPCC president pointed out that there are three cases against BJP’s Kerala president K Surendran, including a bribery case. “These cases are not being investigated; instead, they are trying to frame me in a case. This is BJP’s modus operandi,” asserted Sudhakaran.

As quid pro quo, Sudhakaran explained, the BJP government at the Centre has no ensured there has been no judgement in the SNC Lavalin case where the Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan has been named as an accused. In April 2023, the Supreme Court had adjourned the hearing of the SNC-Lavalin case. This was the 33rd adjournment of the hearing in the case.  

The last time the apex court heard the case was in November 2022 when the Chief Justice was UU Lalit. Pinarayi has been accused of awarding a contract to Canadian firm SNC-Lavalin when he was the power minister in 1996 and causing a loss to the state exchequer.

“This is the hypocrisy of CPI(M) in Kerala,” noted Sudhakaran.

The KPCC president highlighted that the Enforcement Directorate had earlier arrested Kerala Chief Minister’s principal secretary, M Sivasankar, and summoned Pinarayi’s additional private secretary, CM Raveendran, in both the gold smuggling case and the alleged kickbacks in the state government’s Life Mission project.

The customs department had seized 30 kg gold from a diplomatic baggage and Sivasankar was found to have been in conversation with Swapna Suresh, the prime accused in the case. The Life Mission project relates to flats that were funded by an international aid agency “Red Crescent” for those who lost their homes in the 2018 flood.

Sudhakaran highlighted that they are going after his family too. “An investigating team from Kozhikode had sought my wife’s bank account details for the last 15 years,” he said. A notice has been issued to the principal of a school where Sudhakaran’s wife is employed.

Speaking about his connection with Monson Mavunkal, Sudhakaran said that he used to go to Mavunkal for cosmetology treatment. “There are several cases against Monson, and he has already been given life imprisonment. I don’t see the need to file a separate (case) now as he has already been arrested,” added Sudhakaran.

“I have met several bureaucrats, senior police officers and actors at Monson’s house whenever I used to go there. The CPI(M) government has not filed cases against any of them,” said Sudhakaran.

A POCSO court in Kochi on Saturday sentenced conman and self-styled antique dealer Monson Mavunkal to life imprisonment for raping a minor girl, daughter of his former employee. The court also slapped a fine of Rs 5 lakh on Mavunkal under various sections of the POCSO Act.