Thaindian News

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 24 (IANS) Kerala’s Congress-led opposition Thursday took up Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan’s challenge and presented a book which reportedly shows his son V. Arunkumar asking for a bribe to allow a power project to be set up in the state.It was late Wednesday after a cabinet meeting that Achuthanandan dared the opposition to stop levelling allegations against his son and present proofs.

Addressing reporters here Thursday, Congress legislator V.D. Satheesan said that according to a book written by late technocrat K.P.P. Nambiar, Arunkumar had asked him for a bribe to see that then proposed Kannur Power Project got going.

Satheesan said that the copies of the book, which was released a few years back, were burned, but he still retained a copy.

“Arunkumar works as joint director with the state run Institute of Human Resources Development here and we wish to know how many times has Arunkumar made foreign trips in the past few years. Once he asked me to spare him because he is a ‘poor government official’. We know where all he has been and if he has the guts, let him reveal the names of those who were with him in the foreign jaunts.

“Moreover, yesterday he said that his visits were not official. If so, where did he get that much money to go for these foreign trips,” asked Satheesan.

Satheesan also asked Achuthanandan why was his son present when Infosys signed a land deal with the Kerala government for setting up their campus.

“The pictures that came in newspapers then showed the presence of Arunkumar. Also, when officials from Smart City Dubai arrived here for the first time after the Left government assumed office, Arunkumar was present to receive them. We wish to know how come Arunkumar was present, because he has no role in this department nor the affairs of the government,” added Satheesan.

Thursday was the last day of the current session of the state assembly, whose term ends in May.