Is Kerala CM under pressure to quit for opposing clean chit to Vijayan?

Trivandrum, May 8 (ANI): Pressure seems to be building on Kerala Chief Minister VS Achatunandan to quit after he defied CPI (M) stand to give a clean chit to party's state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in the Lavalin scam.

Sources claim that in a meeting held in the CPI (M) state secretariat in Trivandrum, members asked for Achutanandan's resignation as he has been defying party's stand to give a clean chit to Pinarayi Vijayan.

Opposition Congress-led UDF today asked Governor R S Gavai to reject the cabinet decision to deny permission to CBI to prosecute CPI(M) leader Pinarayi Vijayan, increasing pressure on the ruling LDF Government in Kerala,.

Kerala's opposition leader Oommen Chandy led a UDF delegation and submitted a memorandum to Governor Gavai, asking him to take an independent decision on the matter and reject the cabinet decision, which held that there was no ground to prosecute Vijayan in the case, a news channel reported.

"As the Opposition, it is our duty to seek the Governor's intervention in the matter. We expect he will act to uphold the law and the Constitution by examining all aspects of the issue," Chandy told reporters after meeting the Governor.

The cabinet had on Wednesday endorsed the legal opinion given by the Advocate General, stating there was no ground to grant permission to CBI to prosecute Vijayan in the case.

Canadian company SNC-Lavalin was given the contract to renovate three hydro power stations in 1997 when Vijayan was Power Minister. (ANI)