The allegation that he had supposedly offered former MSM member Vivek Pursun money to harm Showkutally Soodhun politically through a controversial video in which the latter made communal statements is absurd, according to Opposition Leader Xavier-Luc Duval. Pursun’s statement to the police is according to Duval completely false. The leader of the opposition now plans to make a counter-statement to the police. 

As readers will recall, the prime minister asked Soodhun to step down following a meeting with l’express journalists Nad Sivaramen and Axcel Chenney. The journalists were in possession of a video showing Soodhun making communal/racist comments about the Creole community in the context of a National Housing Development Company project. 

To preserve social harmony, the journalists took the decision to show the video to Pravind Jugnauth rather than publishing it. The latter asked Soodhun to step down as a minister shortly afterwards, but allowed him to remain a member of the MSM party – something which was decried by members of the public.