Saji Cheriyan, a former minister of culture of Kerala, is expected to rejoin the Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet in the coming months. The day of his oath taking ceremony is January 4.
The Government has informed the Governor of this date. We are awaiting the governor’s reaction.
After the Kerala High Court recently rejected two requests to remove him as a legislator due to the speech purportedly disrespecting the Indian Constitution, the CPM State Secretariat has approved his reinduction as a minister. According to the petitions, Cheriyan’s acts disqualified him under Section 9 of the 1951 Representation of the People Act.
On July 6, Cheriyan was forced to resign from the Left Democratic Front ministry because of the uproar his alleged anti-Constitution utterances had generated.
Then, he had asserted that his choice to resign was personal and was not coerced.
‘I have decided that it is not appropriate for me to continue serving as a minister. Consequently, I’m leaving my position as a clergyman’ said Cheriyan.
‘I am aware that the chief minister asked the Advocate General for legal counsel over my speech. I don’t know what counsel he received, but I’ve made a personal choice and informed the chief minister of it’ Added he.
However, Cheriyan refused to apologise and insisted that his statements were misinterpreted.
Cheriyan asserted that the Constitution was drafted at the British government’s direction and that it was not intended to safeguard the common people in his public speech at Mallappally.
According to Cheriyan: ‘Democracy and secularism have been mentioned a few times. However, it is obvious that the Constitution is being abused to the detriment of ordinary people.’
Cheriyan is the legislative assembly candidate for Chengannur.
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