Cong slams CPI-M over choice of lawyer in graft case linked to Veena

THE Congress in Kerala on Monday criticised the CPI-M-led state government, alleging a "secret pact" between the Left party and the Sangh Parivar, after a lawyer with Ram Janmabhoomi-related case history was appointed to handle an alleged graft case with which Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena's name has been linked.

Senior lawyer C.S. Vaidyanathan, who was the counsel for Ram Lalla in Ram Janmabhoomi case, has been picked to represent the state-run KSIDC.

For the last several months, the Opposition in Kerala has been targetting the Vijayan-led government after a media report, quoting an Income Tax Department official, claimed that Veena Vijayan's IT firm had received Rs 1.72 crore from a mining company - CMRL, in which the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) has a stake.

"For Pinarayi Vijayan, the dealings of his daughter's IT firm turned out to be a nightmare. He has now opted Vaidyanathan to appear for KSIDC even as there are other counsels for KSIDC. This is yet another example of the secret pact between CPI-M and the Sangh Parivar forces," Kerala unit Congress president K. Sudhakaran said.

"Vijayan has now reached such a stage where he would even compromise to save his skin," the Congress leader said.