Kochi, Thursday 14 May 2009: The legal cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has submitted a memorandum to the Governor urging him to grant permission to prosecute CPI (M) State secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin case.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, legal cell convener C. Rajendran said Advocate-General (AG) C. P. Sudhakara Prasad’s advice against prosecuting Mr. Vijayan was against ‘natural justice’ as he was the secretary of the party, which nominated Mr. Prasad to the post (of AG).

The Cabinet can only endorse the AG’s advice since it was incumbent on it to protect a leader of the ruling front, he said. “The Governor should take an independent decision on the issue,” Rajendran said.
He said denial of permission to initiate prosecution proceedings when there was a prima-facie case would send out the message that those in power could get away unscathed despite breaking the law.

BJP district president Nedumbassery Ravi and cell joint convener C.B. Sreekumar attended the press conference.