A day after the Kerala High Court ordered a Crime Branch investigation into the remarks made by Minister for Fisheries, Culture and Youth Affairs, Saji Cherian, which allegedly disrespected the Constitution of India, the CPI-M has decided not to seek his resignation.

The CPI-M state secretariat meeting held here on Friday ruled out the Opposition’s demand for Saji Cherian’s resignation following the High Court order directing the state Crime Branch to conduct further investigation into the remarks Saji Cherian, which allegedly disparaged the Indian Constitution during a 2022 speech at Mallappally in Pathanamthitta district.

The party’s stand is that Saji Cherian resigned once on moral grounds and therefore, need not resign twice on the same issue.

The CPI-M secretariat also resolved to seek further legal opinion regarding the case. The Left party observed that the High Court’s directive for a Crime Branch probe was issued without hearing Saji Cherian on the matter.

Speaking to media persons here, after the party secretariat meeting, Law Minister P Rajeeve said the High Court had expressed confidence in the state police by ruling out the petitioner’s demand for a CBI enquiry into the episode. Instead, the High Court had tasked the Crime Branch to re-investigate the case.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties held demonstrations in many part of the state on Friday demanding the resignation of Saji Cherian from the Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet.

The Kerala High Court on Thursday ordered further investigation into the remarks made by Minister for Fisheries, Culture and Youth Affairs, Saji Cherian, which allegedly disrespected the Constitution of India.

A single bench of Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas directed the state Crime Branch to conduct further investigation into the remarks of Cherian, which allegedly disparaged the Indian Constitution during a 2022 speech at Mallappally in Pathanamthitta district.

The High Court quashed the earlier police report and directed a fresh investigation, citing prima facie evidence of Saji Cherian’s offensive remarks against the Constitution.

The conclusion reached by the investigating officer was made in haste and without proper investigation. Hence, the police investigation was inadequate, and the Magistrate erred in accepting the final report, the court said

In 2022, a video surfaced showing Cherian saying that the Constitution’s “aim is to exploit the common man.” He had allegedly described the Constitution as “crafted by the British,” and “anti-working class.”

In his speech, Saji Cheriyan said, “A beautiful Constitution has been written in the country. I would say the Constitution has been written in such a manner as to ensure that the maximum number of people are looted. What the British prepared, Indians penned down. Over the last 75 years that it has been implemented, I would say this is a Constitution that ensures the exploitation of the maximum number of people in the country.”

During his controversial speech, Cheriyan also said that values like “secularism” and “democracy,” the “kuntham and kodachakram” (spear and wheel), were just inscribed on its (Constitution) sides.