People's Democracy

Kurien Should Go: CPI(M)

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on February 17, 2013.

THE surfacing of fresh evidence in the Suryanelli gang rape case concerning the involvement of P J Kurien comes in the background of the Supreme Court orders annulling the acquittal of 35 men by the Kerala High Court in 2005 and ordering a re-examination of the case. It should be noted that Kurien had got the benefit of this flawed judgement of the High Court when his petition not to be included as one of the accused was accepted by the High Court and Supreme Court in 2007. A reinvestigation is essential and Kurien should step down from his post of deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha, till it is over.

The Kerala government is adopting double standards by not ordering a reinvestigation into the case against Kurien. Only recently it had ordered reinvestigation into two cases of murder dating back decades, which had been decided through the judicial process including, in one of the cases, up to the Supreme Court.

The CPI(M) appeals to the Congress leadership to view this matter in the proper perspective. This is not an issue being raised for party-political purposes. The whole country is seriously concerned and agitated about the alarming rise in sexual crimes against women. Parliament is to discuss laws concerning sexual violence against women. At such a juncture, when a rape victim has levelled a serious charge against P J Kurien and fresh evidence has come to light, will it be proper for him to continue in the post of deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha? It becomes incumbent for him to resign. If not, he should be removed from the post of deputy chairman.