Kerala left-front leader questions Lok Ayukta's integrity

K T Jaleel alleged the Lok Ayukta was trying to destabilise the left-front government in Kerala

The ongoing moves by the left-front government in Kerala to undermine the powers of Lok Ayukta has assumed a fresh dimension with a left-front MLA and former minister questioning the integrity of the Lok Ayukta.

K T Jaleel, who had to quit from higher education post in the previous Pinarayi Viayan government in Kerala after Lok Ayukta found him guilty of nepotism, on Sunday alleged the Lok Ayukta was trying to destabilise the left-front government in Kerala by acting as a weapon of the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front.

Even as Jaleel did not name the Lok Ayukta in his social media post in this regard, going by the references made in the post it was widely considered to be targeting present Lok Ayukta Justice Cyriac Joseph.

Jaleel alleged that the Lok Ayukta would do any favours if he get adequate returns. A prominent UDF leader was saved from a well-known case and in return got his brother's wife appointed as Mahatma Gandhi University vice-chancellor, Jaleel said in the post. He also shared a copy of the court order of 2005 acquitting Indian Union Muslim League leader then minister in Congress-led government P K Kunhalikutty in a case by a bench comprising justice Cyriac Joseph. Jaleel also shared a list of the vice-chancellors of the MG university in which the name of Jancy James, who was the vice-chancellor from 2004-2008, was highlighted. Jancy James is justice Cyriac Joseph's sister-in-law.

The fresh allegations came at a time when the left-front government was facing criticism over the cabinet decision to amend the Kerala Lok Ayukta Act so as to empower the state government to overrule Lok Ayukta directives to public servants to vacate office once found corrupt. Even the CPI, which is a key coalition partner in the left-front, was unhappy over the haste move. There were allegations that cases pending before the Lok Ayukta against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Higher Education Minister R Bindu was the immediate provocation for bringing in the amendment.

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