THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Solar Commission report – which had hogged the headlines after former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was arrayed top in the list with charges of rape and was sidelined by the resignation of Thomas Chandy from the Cabinet last week – is all set to take centre-stage again.
The Congress national leadership has come forward to defend Oommen Chandy and its other leaders who landed in the soup following the damning report.
After holding discussions the other day, Supreme Court lawyer and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal and a team of seniors at the Bar and the Congress have decided to challenge the Solar report in the High Court instead of their earlier plan to wait for the FIR before following a legal course.The Congress had earlier planned to take upon the adversities legally as the government and CPM top leadership had given an impression the slapping of an FIR on charges of rape and others against the persons named in the report was imminent.
The Congress camp was toying with the idea of laddering the FIR to mincemeat the Solar report observations and conclusions with an assessment the lack of evidence to back it up would only backfire on legal scrutiny.The special investigation team, which the government constituted to conduct a probe based on the Solar report, is yet to gain momentum. The probe team is understood to be exercising utmost caution to avoid a setback legally, though the Chief Minister’s Office is keen for immediate action.
Challenging the report may become a rare instance in the history of judicial commission reports in the country. Adding to it is the irony the matter is being taken to court by the very same lot which appointed the commission.
“It’s true high-level discussions had taken place in recent days at New Delhi. Much importance is given to a legal course of action against the report,” KPCC president M M Hassan told Express.
“The report becoming a bone of legal contention in the courtroom will be seen in a few days’ time,” he said.
The Congress calculates the Solar commission report can be cornered in court, allowing it to inflict political damage to the LDF Government and also further widen the rift in the ruling front caused in the run-up to Thomas Chandy’s resignation.The Congress High Command has also sent a message by extending support to Chandy and other state leaders in the hour of crisis.AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik has been drafted to address meetings at Puthupally and Kottayam, Chandy’s home turf, when the Congress’ ‘Padayorukkam’ reaches the district on Wednesday.
Source: newindianexpress
