Congress in Kerala today distanced itself from party MP K Sudhakaran's controversial statement that he was witness to a Supreme Court judge being bribed about 15 years back.
"The Congress party had always held judiciary in high esteem. The party is of the firm view that a strong judiciary is essential for a healthy democracy', KPCC President Ramesh Chennithal told reporters here.
"We always respect court verdicts. There were instances of political parties expressing reservations over court orders. However, this was not done with the intention of maligning the judiciary', he said.
Asked if there woud be disciplinary action against the MP, Chennithala said he would speak to Sudhakaran and find out what prompted him to make such a speech.
While virtually disapproving Sudhakaran's remaks, state opposition leader and former chief minister Oommen Chandy said his avowed stand had alwasy been that there should not be any attempt from any quarter to question the credibility of judiciary.
Meanwhile, state home minister and senior CPI-M leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said a case would be registered in connection with Sudhakaran's speech.
Since his comment amounted to discrediting the judiciary as a whole, he should specify the details of his allegation.
While speaking at a public meeting organised at Kottarakkara in Kollam district on saturday, Sudhakaran had said that he was witness to a judge being bribed apparently for getting a favourable decision in a case seeking restoration of bar licences cancelled by the Kerala High
Court.
A former state minister who now represents Kannur in the Lok Sabha, Sudhakaran made the charge without naming the judge at the meeting organised by the supporters of Kerala Congress-B leader R Balakrishna Pillai, who was recently sentenced to one year imprisonment by the Supreme Court in a corruption case.
