Anti-Constitution remark: Kerala minister pays price

NT Correspondent
Thiruvananthapuram

Kerala's Culture and Fisheries Minister Saji Cheriyan resigned on Wednesday after his remarks against the Constitution created a furore. Opposition political parties and Constitutional experts have been demanding his resignation since the video of his controversial speech emerged on Tuesday.

Cheriyan met mediapersons and announced that he has handed over his resignation to the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He said it was his independent decision to quit as minister. "I never had the intention to disrespect the Constitution for which I have the highest regard and respect," he said. "I understand that the chief minister sought the legal advice of the Advocate General on my speech. I don't know what advice he received but I've taken a personal decision and have communicated the same to the chief minister," he added.

But Cheriyan dodged questions on whether he'll resign his MLA post. It is learnt that he was forced to quit after CPI(M) national leadership took a stand against him. The party's state committee, which held discussions with Cheriyan on Tuesday, did not demand his resignation.

Cheriyan, who is a State Secretariat member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), blamed the media for telecasting only a few minutes from his hour-long speech. "My speech was used to create confusion. I never imagined that my words would be treated as an insult to the Constitution," he said. Cheriyan made the controversial statement against the Constitution at a public speech in Pathanamthitta 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 at the meeting.

Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) had demanded Cheriyan's resignation from the cabinet. Opposition Leader VD Satheeshan had asked the chief minister to sack Cheriyan immediately. On Tuesday, 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 was 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 had read out a written statement in the State Assembly on Tuesday amid the Opposition walkout.