Thiruvananthapuram: BJP State leadership has been caught in a quagmire after the party has been rocked in the medical college scam where Varkalabased SR Medical College and Research Centre owner and Bharat Dharma Jana Sena leader R. Shaji has reportedly given Rs 5.60 crore to a Yuvamorcha leader and BJP co-operative cell convener R. S. Vinod.
Interestingly, BJP general secretary M. T. Ramesh’s name has also been involved in a similar controversy where a Kozhikode native, Dr Nazar, who has plans to reclaim the recognition for Kerala Medical College in Cherpulassery has given funds to be paid to Medical Council of India for sanctioning a medical college.
The probe committee report submitted by general secretary K. P. Sreesan and secretary A. K. Nazeer has recommended stringent action against the Yuvamorcha leader.
The probe has been conducted as per the diktat of the central leadership after a prominent leader alerted them.
BJP president Amit Shah directed his state counterpart Kummanam Rajasekharan to probe the shady dealings several months ago.
There was an allegation within the party that some leaders including Mr Rajasekharan were trying to downplay the probe report which resulted in its leakage to the media.
There are unconfirmed reports that SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellapally Natesan is behind the leakage as he is peeved with the BJP leadership for not keeping the promises.
“The scam involving SR Medical College and Research Centre has been doing rounds for quite some time. But there was no proof for kickbacks. However, when Mr Shaji who was also the Assembly candidate of BDJS in Varkala deposed before the enquiry committee and came out against the Yuvamorcha leader, it was almost sure that it did take place,” said a prominent BJP leader.
According to the leaked report, Mr Shaji had deposed before the committee that he had given Rs 5.6 crore to Mr Vinod towards the sanctioning of medical college by the MCI.
However, Mr Vinod claimed he had given the said amount through money laundering to an intermediary, Satheesh Nair, who is based in New Delhi.
Mr Rajasekharan was not available for comment. However, the core committee meeting scheduled to take place on Friday is expected to be stormy with a section of the BJP State leadership unhappy over the latest scam which has hit the BJP hard. But BJP leaders have been caught unawares by the role of M. T. Ramesh in yet another medical college scam, in Palakkad. He maintained that he had not accepted bribes from anyone.
It was Mr Shaji who deposed before the enquiry committee that revealing Mr Ramesh's involvement in it.However, the probe commission has not recommended any action against Mr Ramesh.
