Singhvi lottery case row continues in Kerala
By IANSSunday, October 3, 2010
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - The Congress and Kerala’s ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Sunday continued trading charges over Congress spokesman and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi defending a lottery distributor accused of irregularities even though he has since withdrawn from the case.
Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan alleged that Singhvi came with the full knowledge of Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
“Singhvi came with the full knowledge of Sonia Gandhi, if not by now action would have been taken against him. The Congress is playing a double game, on the one hand they say they are against (illegal) lottery, on the other hand they support the lottery mafia,” Balakrishnan told reporters.
However, state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala maintained that they wanted strong action against Singhvi.
“We have already asked the high command to see that strong action be taken against Singhvi. The Congress party here is of the opinion that it was wrong on the part of Singhvi to appear in this case,” Chennithala told reporters in Pathanamthitta.
Singhvi appeared for Megha Distributors - an agent for lotteries of Sikkim and Bhutan - in the court Wednesday and Thursday. But on Thursday, Singhvi announced that he was withdrawing from the case.
Singhvi’s decision to represent Megha Distributors had upset Congress members who alleged that the accused firm’s owner was linked to the rival CPI-M, which heads the ruling front in the state.
The CPI-M pointed to Singhvi’s appearance in court and attacked the Congress, alleging that it was linked to the lottery mafia.
Ahead of the local bodies poll scheduled for Oct 23 and Oct 25, the Congress in Kerala has been vigorously campaigning against the “illegal” Sikkim and Bhutan lotteries whose tickets are sold in the state, alleging that the CPI-M-led state government was helping Megha Distributors.
The opposition alleges that the lotteries from other states are sold without any checks on the number of tickets sold, the draws announced and the sales tax they are required to pay.
