Tackle Lavalin issue head-on


By O J George

Kottayam: CPM general secretary reached Delhi on Wednesday from Hyderabad after attending the state level meetings in Andhra Pradesh.

He would be rushing to Kolkata to participate in the meetings of the West Bengal state unit on Thursday.

In the breathing space, he had reached the headquarters of the party at Gole Market, Delhi.

As usual there might have been a meeting of the available members of the politburo on Wednesday.

Prakash Karat used to send out clear messages on various issues. But on Wednesday, he seemed to be evading the issues thrown at him by waiting mediapersons.

The capital media, including newspapers, had splashed news items about Kerala Governor R S Gavai giving sanction for prosecution of CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin case.

Prakash Karat has not been in Delhi when the Governor issued the sanction. Karat’s reaction has not been available to the media. Even now he is not reacting clearly.

Karat simply dismissed waiting mediapersons with a curt reply that the politburo had issued a statement.

The available politburo had not made the allegation that the Governor had acted in a partisan manner. It had not said the Governor’s decision was politically motivated.

It only observed that the decision of the Governor was unfortunate. Earlier, the PB had made it clear that Lavalin issue would be dealt with politically and legally.

Perhaps, the PB members would call on octogenarian leader Jyoti Basu and take his advice in Kolkata.

There is no meaning in running away from the real issue. The politburo would have to deal with the issue on June 19, when the full-fledged politburo meets in Delhi.

Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, whose views on the issue are well known, has already made it clear that the politburo would discuss the issue in detail. Another member M K Pandhe had said the PB would take it up if someone raises the issue.

But the issue having hotted up, the PB will have to take up the issue on its own.

There are dichotomies in the analysis of the issue by various CPM leaders.

V S Achuthanandan has pointed out that there is nothing surprising about the Governor’s decision.

There are precedents about Governors taking a different line than the advice of the Cabinet. The Supreme Court has also confirmed this view.

But Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had challenged the decision of the Governor.

He was irked by the fact that the decision of the Governor was not communicated to the government.

But close on the heels of the Home Minister conducting the Press conference, Raj Bhavan sent a copy of the order to the Chief Minister.

The Cabinet members are divided on the issue. It is not known whether the LDF partners would whole-heartedly support the views of Pinarayi Vijayan or V S Achuthanandan.

It was only because there was no unanimity in views on the issue that the Cabinet did not discuss the issue right away.

It would be in the best interest of the party and the government, and for maintenance of democratic norms, to take a clear decision whatever the consequences.