Solar: Cong leader picks holes in probe

A day after the Congress central leadership ruled out replacement of Oommen Chandy as Kerala Chief Minister in the backdrop of solar scam, former KPCC President K Muraleedharan today struck a discordant note by picking holes in the police investigation in the case.
Seen as an uncalled for comment that would mar the party's image in times of distress, KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala immediately conveyed his displeasure at his colleague's remarks.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, Muraleedharan, son of late Congress stalwart K Karunakaran, accused the investigators of being selective in their approach.
While three persons of Chandy's personal staff were alleged to have links with the scam accused Saritha Nair, the police had bothered to arrest only one of them and this showed that they were being selective, he said.

The statement of Muraleedharan is widely seen as a potshot at Home Minister Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan.
In a swift reaction to the barbed comment, Chennithala "censured" Muraleedharan over phone and told him sternly he should refrain from issuing such statements capable of creating confusion among the party ranks, party sources said.

Chandy has been under attack from CPI(M)-led LDF opposition in the context of solar scam, which pertains to cheating of several persons of huge sums by the accused Saritha Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan offering them solar energy business deals.
In luring their victims, the duo had allegedly flaunted their "influence" with some people in Chief Minister's Office, bringing Chandy under a cloud.

On the defencive for nearly a month since the scam surfaced, Chandy yesterday met Congress president Sonia Gandhi to explain the political situation and later said the issue of leadership change and reshuffle of the state Cabinet was not discussed at the meeting.
He had also said Gandhi wanted to see a united Congress and party-led UDF in the state.