CPI(M) to fight Paloli case legally

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 13 (UNI) Stressing that there was no need for Kerala Local Administration Minister Paloli Mohammedkutty to resign in the wake of the High Court rejecting his ''unconditional apology'', the Communist Party of India (Marxist) today said it would fight the case legally.

'' There is no need for Mr Mohammedkutty to resign. The CPI(M) will challenge the HC order legally,'' CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan told newspersons here. The verdict was expected and there was no surprise in it, he added.

Mr Vijay said while the Opposition were demanding the resignation of a minister in the light of a court order, the CPI(M) had always asked for the resignation of ministers against whom the court had pronounced verdicts in corruption cases.

Mr Mohammedkutty was not involved in any corruption cases.

Earlier, the United Democratic Front(UDF) ministers K P Viswanathan and K K Ramachandran had to resign because there were direct remarks against them, linking them with corruption, he added.

The Opposition Congress had demanded Mr Mohammedkutty's resignation on moral grounds. They said a minister did not have the moral right to continue in office once the court had made adverse remarks against him.

UNI