Pinarayi disavows Anvar’s public accusations

Chief Minister rejects Anvar’s controversial demand for on-the-spot action against Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, M.R. Ajith Kumar and Chief Minister’s political secretary P. Sasi on the charges of criminality and corruption

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has taken strong exception to Left Democratic Front (LDF) Independent legislator P.V. Anvar’s recurrent muckraking press conferences, which have arguably cast his office and law enforcement in a poor light and provided sensational grist to the Opposition to assail the government and the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)].

Mr. Vijayan appeared to abandon his taciturn approach to issues by openly rejecting Mr. Anvar’s controversial demand for on-the-spot action against Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, M.R. Ajith Kumar and Chief Minister’s political secretary P. Sasi on the charges of criminality and corruption.

Mr. Vijayan reiterated that the government could not act on hearsay and required proof. “If the high-level probe and the anti-corruption inquiry unearth delinquent conduct, the government will act against the ADGP,” he said.

The Chief Minister rejected Mr. Anvar’s request to bring Mr. Sasi under the inquiry’s ambit. Instead, Mr. Vijayan lauded Mr. Sasi for acting within the legal and political bounds of the latter’s office.

He also suggested that Mr. Anvar appeared to have an axe to grind against Mr. Sasi and Mr. Ajith Kumar for allegedly shielding an online television channel owner from arrest in an illegal wiretap case “in reciprocation” for a significant bribe. “I examined the matter and found the charge unfounded,” he said.

Mr. Vijayan denied that he had secretly dispatched Mr. Ajith Kumar as an emissary to negotiate with the top RSS leadership. “If the inquiry reveals that the ADGP had overstepped his official bounds by holding such a clandestine meeting, the government will take action,” he said.

Mr. Vijayan appeared sceptical about Mr. Anvar’s accusation that plainclothes squads stole some of the contraband gold they confiscated from smugglers.

The Chief Minister said a slight discrepancy in weight when purifying contraband gold was inevitable and legally permissible. “Nobody should whitewash gold smugglers by airing their baseless and spiteful accusations to demoralise law enforcers,” he added.

Mr. Vijayan noted that most gold seizures, an estimated 124 kg and hawala interdiction (₹87.22 crore), were from Malappuram. Notably, Mr. Anvar represents the Nilambur Assembly constituency in the district. 

Mr. Vijayan added that the police were probing the illegal wiretapping accusations, including those against Mr. Anvar, as demanded by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.

Mr. Vijayan also denounced Mr. Anvar for breaching protocol as a CPI(M) parliamentary party member and wrongfooting the government by publicly airing his grievances against Mr. Ajith Kumar and Mr. Sasi. The Chief Minister also said that his efforts to reach out to Mr. Anvar had failed.

Mr. Vijayan, somewhat grudgingly, conceded that Mr. Anvar, who has a Congress background, might be unaware of how the CPI(M) worked. The Chief Minister warned that Mr. Anwar’s manner, if not rectified, might compel him to go public again.

Published - September 21, 2024 08:43 pm IST