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Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Kerala
By R. Madhavan Nair
KOZHIKODE, OCT. 29. The revival of `the ice-cream parlour sex case', in which the Industries Minister, P.K. Kunhalikutty, is an accused, has emerged as a grave threat to the image of the United Democratic Front (UDF) Government. The embarrassing allegations against the Industries Minister come close on the heels of the Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, declaring in Kannur that tainted officials would not be allowed to hold key government posts. The question that follows naturally is what about tainted Ministers? A former UDF Minister, who does not want to be identified, told The Hindu today "this time Kunhalikutty will have to resign''. Quite a few in the UDF are worried the scandal might spoil UDF's chances in the coming elections to local bodies and the next Assembly polls. The League leadership had alienated many in the UDF since it is believed to have played a key role in removing first K. Karunakaran and more recently A.K. Antony from the Chief Minister's posts during times when the Congress was riven by faction feuds.
Rajeena's credibility
It is true the credibility of Rajeena, the 24-year-old woman who has contradicted her statement in court while levelling charges against Mr. Kunhalikutty, is open to question. The Revenue Minister and Kerala Congress(Mani) group leader, K.M. Mani, has already said so. She had retracted the statements which she had submitted in court in the past and told reporters of TV channels on Thursday that she was sexually assaulted on three occasions. According to her, she was 16 years old then. Moreover, she had also gone on record as saying she was changing her version of the incident as she had not received the rewards that were promised for her silence during the trial of the case. The woman did not hold a press conference but had chosen, instead, to speak to a few selected media, mostly TV channels. Interestingly, the first to go on air with the report was a TV channel in which the IUML leader and Public Works Minister, M.K. Muneer, has high stakes. What the woman told the TV channels was that she had deposed in favour of Mr. Kunhalikutty during the trial of the case since her family had accepted money from his men. She had stated she was sexually assaulted on three occasions in Shoranur, Kozhikode, and Thiruvana nthapuram. Rajeena, who says she is 24 now, would have been a minor when she was assaulted. If her charge is proved, the sexual assault on her could amount to rape since she must have been a minor then. She has also made a disarming admission to the effect that she was raising allegations against Mr. Kunhalikutty only because she had not been given a house which she was promised. But few doubt the IUML and its State general secretary have been pushed into an embarrassing position by her statement yesterday. The woman could not have come out with her allegations at a more inopportune time for the IUML which is smarting under the embarrassment of its first ever poll defeat in its home turf in Malappuram district and is also struggling to scotch fires of dissidence with the organisation itself. Much to the discomfiture of the League's top leadership its enemies outside the party and even in the UDF have been steadily growing.
League's stance
The IUML has also antagonised the popular Congress leader with clean image, V.M. Sudheeran, who strongly believes the League scripted his defeat in the Lok Sabha election from Alappuzha to avenge his attempts to scuttle the controversial mineral sand-mining project which was backed in a big way by Mr. Kunhalikutty. In fact, a League source said "Sudheeran's men'' were behind the unexpected revelations which were made by Rajeena, who was a key witness in the ice-cream parlour case. The League source said "a group of Sudheeran's supporters'' had been camping in a city lodge for the last few days preparing the ground for "the character assassination of Mr. Kunhalikutty.'' The immediate response of League cadres had been to rally round Mr. Kunhalikutty who apparently continues to have the support of a majority within his party.
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