Saji Cheriyan resigned as Kerala's culture minister on Wednesday, a day after he courted controversy over his remarks on the Constitution, triggering a huge political row in the southern state.The Left leader had later expressed regret and claimed news reports in this connection were 'distorted.While the Opposition Congress had described the remarks by Cheriyan as 'obnoxious', the BJP said he should hold an office enabled by the Constitution he has disrespected and lashed out at the CPI(M) over the controversy.
Speaking at a party meeting in Pathnamthitta on Monday, Chieriyan had denounced the Constitution and said it was reduced to an instrument for exploitation. “We blindly copied the British system and wrote a Constitution,” he said.Cheriyan's entry into politics was through Students' Federation of India, the student cadre of CPI(M), of which he was once the Alappuzha district secretary and later the president. He rose through the ranks and went on to become the district president of Democratic Youth Federation of India, the youth wing of CPI(M). He represented Mulakuzha division in the district panchayat in 1995 and became chairman of the development standing committee in the local body. He was elected CPM Chengannur area secretary in 2001. He has also held positions of Area Committee Secretary of CPI(M), Member of Alappuzha Jilla Panchayath, Kerala University Syndicate member, and CITU district President.