UDF demands CBI probe into financial dealings of 'Deshabhimani'

Kochi, July 2 (UNI) Opposition UDF Convenor P P Thankachan today demanded a CBI probe into the financial dealings of CPM daily 'Deshabhimani' following reports that its top brass had collected Rs two crore from a lottery agent.

Addressing a press conference here, Mr Thankachan claimed that a CBI probe would bring out all the facts into the acceptance of Rs two crore by 'Deshabhimani' General Manager E P Jayarajan from lottery agent S Martin.

Wondering why no action was being taken against Mr Jayarajan for accepting money against the CPM's stated policy, Mr Thankachan alleged that 'Deshabhimani' Deputy General Manager K Venugopal had been suspended from the CPM for accepting Rs one crore from a private financial company.

''Mere suspension of Mr Venugopal would not bring out all facts.

There should be a high-level inquiry as he was a mere employee of the CPM daily and could not have accepted such a huge amount without the knowledge of the top CPM leaders,'' he said.

Mr Thankachan accused the Left Front Government of not doing anything to recover Rs 5,000 crore in taxes owed by the operators of other state lotteries in Kerala.

Challenging Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan to come clean on the issue, Mr Thankachan charged that the Chief Minister's continued silence on the controversy was not good.

The UDF Convenor also criticised the CPM for labelling newspapers which had unmasked the dealings as ''yellow papers''. ''It is their right to reveal corruption,'' he said.

Mr Thankachan also charged that the government had failed on crucial fronts like health and education.

He said the Kerala Students Union (KSU) would lead a protest march to the State Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram tomorrow while the youth organisations of the UDF would hold a protest march outside the Secretariat on July four.

UNI