Outrage over minister's remark

Sreejith Kumar
Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala's Fisheries and Culture Minister Saji Cheriyan landed himself in a huge trouble on Tuesday when he stated that India's Constitution condones exploitation and it is written in a way helping to "plunder" people.

The controversial statement drew sharp flak from political parties and constitutional experts, forcing the Communist Party of India (Marxist) to instruct Cheriyan, who is a State Secretariat member of the party, apologise for the error. Cheriyan's controversial remarks came at a CPI(M) event in Mallappally in Pathanamthitta district in south Kerala.

"We all say that we have a beautifully written Constitution. But, I will say, the Constitution is written in such a way that it can be used to plunder the people of the country. The constitution was prepared by the British and written by an Indian," he said.

The speech was aired by the local television channels on Tuesday. Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) demanded Cheriyan's resignation from the cabinet. Opposition Leader VD Satheeshan urged the chief minister to sack Cheriyan immediately. Indian Youth Congress and Bharathiya Janata Yuva Morcha organised separate protests to the State Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram and burnt the minister's effigies.

As the clamour for his resignation grew louder, the CPM leadership sought a clarification from the minister. He is believed to have told the party leaders that it was a slip of the tongue while explaining the current situation in India.

After consulting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and central leaders, the party's state leadership asked Cheriyan to apologise in the Assembly. "I am a public servant who honours the Constitution and holds it in high esteem. I never intended to denounce the Constitution. The party which I belong to is in the forefront of the nationwide campaign for the protection of the Constitution and its values. I apologise if my remarks conveyed any message which I did not intend to make," he read out a written statement in the State Assembly amid the Opposition walkout