THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy today defended his government's decision to grant remission to Kerala Congress-B leader R Balakrishna Pillai, sentenced to one year jail term in a corruption case, saying it was not illegal and was within the framework of law."The government has not done anything illegal or unlawful. The order for remission is within the framework of law. Previous governments also have taken similar decisions," he told reporters during his cabinet briefing.Pillai was freed yesterday nearly eight months after his imprisonment along with 137 others on the occasion of Kerala formation day.It was on former chief minister V S Achuthanandan's appeal that the Supreme Court sentenced 78-year-old Pillai in the Edamalayar corruption case, which dates to 1980s when Pillai was electricity minister in the Congress-led UDF government.Chandy rejected Opposition allegation that the order was to favour Pillai and said no special consideration had been shown to him.He also sought to know what moral right LDF Opposition had to question Pillai's release when persons convicted and sentenced for murder were released when LDF was in power.
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