Kochi/Thiruvananthapuram:
Amidst controversy over his statement regarding the safety of Mullaperiyar dam, Kerala Advocate General (AG) KP Dandapani on Saturday made it clear that he would not resign from the post.
He said that he had not done anything wrong and hence there was no need to resign. Mr Dandapani said that he was not against the interests of Kerala and has never misled the court.
The AG had reportedly informed the High Court that Idukki and Cheruthoni dams could withstand the pressure of water from the upstream Mullaperiyar dam in case of an emergency. The Kerala government and political parties have been insisting that a breach in the 166-year-old dam would collapse the downstream dams, leading to catastrophe in several central Kerala districts.
Meanwhile, asked whether Mr Dandapani would be removed from the post, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that he would look in to the issue and take an appropriate decision.
The ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) has already entrusted the Chief Minister to take an appropriate decision against the Advocate General. "Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will take an appropriate decision after consulting the leaders of the front," UDF convenor P P Thankachan said.
However, Revenue Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who is in charge of disaster management, said that Mr Dandapani will face action for "misrepresenting" the government on the Mullaperiyar issue at the High Court. He said there were reports of mismatch between the AG's and the government's stand on the issue in the High Court. "The government will act soon," he said.
Congress parliamentary party chief whip T N Prathapan said Mr Dandapani was not fit to continue in the post of AG. "Dandapani as an AG should represent the government. Rather than speaking for the state, the AG has spoken against the interest of the state. So he is not fit to continue in his post and should be asked to step down," he said.
Expressing similar views, Congress spokesperson M M Hassan said that the government should immediately take a decision whether such an AG was needed for the state.