The government’s move to avoid BSNL as the Internet service provider for K-FON and to give the contract to Ishan Infotech, a firm with alleged links to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is yet another proof of the ‘understanding’ between the CPI(M) and the BJP, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala has said.
The move to give the contract to the Gujarat company without inviting a new tender smacked of corruption. After the Chief Minister began handling the IT portfolio, corruption of the same pattern linked to IT had been happening over and over, Mr. Chennithala said.
The CAG had found that the government had incurred a loss of ₹36 crore in giving interest-free mobilisation advance in the K-FON deal. The CAG also made it clear that the Central Vigilance Commission’s directive that interest should be levied had been violated. Mr. Chennithala alleged that the CAG report on the K-FON deal made it clear that the Chief Minister excelled in ‘systematic corruption.’
‘Consistent silence’
The Chief Minister was mocking the people of Kerala by maintaining silence consistently, when allegations, most of which had been proved, were being raised against his daughter and her business venture, Mr. Chennithala said. The Chief Minister’s arrogant silence to the allegations against resembled that of Mr. Modi, who also behaved as though he was not obliged to come clean before the people, he said. Both were challenging the faith of the people.
The allegations against the Chief Minister’s daughter were raised not by the Opposition, but by a quasi-judicial tribunal. The tribunal’s report clearly stated that the alleged illegal remuneration was handed over to Ms. Vijayan because she was the Chief Minister’s daughter, Mr. Chennithala said.
He also said that the CPI(M) State secretary was just a stooge of the Chief Minister and was openly defending anything that Mr. Vijayan did.
