The Congress-led UDF opposition on Tuesday walked out of the Kerala Assembly, accusing the LDF government of trying to protect the CPI-M leaders in Kozhikode allegedly involved in the PSC membership-for-cash scam.

Moving a submission on the controversy, leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan alleged that the Home Department had attempted to suppress a complaint that a CPI-M area committee member from Kozhikode tried to sell a doctor a Public Service Commission (PSC) membership for Rs 60 lakh by accepting Rs 22 lakh as an advance.

Satheesan asked why the police did not register a case as the ones involved in the fraud had committed a criminal offence. “Such a big allegation came up, but why is it not being referred to the police? Taking money in the name of leaders is a criminal offence. Why did the police not register a case? An urgent probe is required in the matter,” he said.

The Opposition leader alleged that the person under suspicion was a CPI-M member who regularly rubbed shoulders with the powers that be and drew credibility from intimate and personal access to authority.

Satheesan said those who reportedly committed the fraud took the names of CPI-M leaders, including PWD Minister P A Mohammed Riyas and CPI-M district secretary P Mohanan to gain the aspirant’s confidence.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan countered Satheesan’s allegations, saying that the opposition leader is trying to “scandalise the constitutional body” based on media speculation and gossip.

The Chief Minister tried to turn the tables on the UDF, accusing the successive UDF governments of increasing the number of PSC membership posts to 21.

He said in 1982, there were nine PSC members, which were increased to 13 and then 15 in the successive years. In 2005, the number was increased to 18, and in 2013, it was further raised to 21. “All these years the UDF was in power. The LDF governments never increased the number of posts,” the CM said.

The Chief Minister said that the opposition’s attempt to “orchestrate political theatre” would tarnish the public image of the PSC and undermine the credibility of the constitutional agency. “The police would investigate any allegation that revealed a cognisable wrongdoing,” the CM added.

The Chief Minister said apart from media reports, no other facts corroborating the allegation has come to the fore. On Tuesday morning, a Youth Congress state general secretary e-mailed a complaint on the matter to the Kozhikode City Police Commissioner and this was done deliberately as the Opposition Leader was moving a submission on the incident.

To this, Satheesan said that if the allegation didn’t exist, why did the police record the statements of the doctor and her spouse. The CPI-M state secretary said that the allegation will be examined by the party and the government.

“The police have recorded the statement of the doctor and her spouse. The CPI-M state secretary, MV Govindan, has admitted that a party probe was underway in the matter. Still, the Chief Minister maintains that the matter is just a fiction,” he said.

Following this, the UDF members walked out of the Assembly, alleging that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was trying to protect the party members allegedly involved in the PSC membership-for-cash scam.