Chandy downplays letter row

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Friday downplayed the controversy over a letter purportedly written by Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi in connection with the UDF poll debacle.

“Chennithala himself had said he didn’t write any such letter,” said Chandy when reporters asked about it.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said a probe would be conducted to find out the source of the controversial letter.

On Thursday, a huge controversy broke out after a bombshell of a letter, purportedly written by Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala to the Congress high command, surfaced in the media.

Chennithala's office, however, denied the minister wrote it. Chennithala told reporters later: "I have not written any such letter."

The letter reportedly said there has to be an urgent overhaul in the Congress in the wake of the unexpected setback in the November civic polls in the state. If that does not happen, then the party will come a cropper in the upcoming assembly polls.

It said members of the Oommen Chandy government were allegedly involved in several cases of corruption. This has dented the party's image, and something urgent needs to be done.