Noisy scenes in Ker assembly over graft charge agaist CM's son

Amid heated exchanges by the ruling LDF and Congress-led UDf members, Achuthanandan described as baseless the charge that Arun Kumar took a bribe of Rs7 lakh from 'Sandalwood' lobby in 2003 when his father was leader of the opposition.

The UDF members buttressed their charge by quoting a report carried by the pro-Congress Jaihind TV in which one Khadar alleged the money was paid to Arun Kumar to slow down the campaign spearheaded by h Achuthanandan against private sanalwood extraction units.

Rejecting the opposition demand for an adjournment on the issue,moved by K Babu (Cong), Achuthanandan  said the allegation against his son was raised as a ploy to deflect charges of corruption and sex scams hauntig the UDF camp.

He sought to know as whey the then UDF Government did not take action against his son, if he was involved in any corrupt deal. He said making such false and politically motivated allegations when assembly polls were round the corner was not going to click.

He said, Khader, who had made the allegations on the channel was local functionary of the Indian Union Muslim League from Kasargode area and was invoved in many criminal cases.

Opposition leader Oommen Chandy hit out at the Chief Minister saying that it was difficult to understand as why he was not ready to register a case if he was certain that the charges were false and the person who levelled them had no credibility.

"If Chief Minister has nothing to hide, whey he is not ordering a probe and registering a case', Chandy asked before staging a walkout along with Opposition members.

Seeking leave for an adjournment motion, Babu wanted the government to order a probe into the charges against Arun Kumar on the basis of the "revelations" made by Khadar on the T V Channel.

Babu also said that Achuthanandan, who was leading a vigourous camapign against private sandalwood factories, had soften his stand towards private sandalwood factories.

After the reply of Achuthanandan, Speaker K Radhakrishnan refused leave for the motion, leading to walk-out by the UDF members.