<p>Kerala’s Sports Minister E P Jayarajan has again courted controversy over offensive remarks he made during an interaction with Olympian and Kerala State Sports Council (KSSC) president Anju Bobby George.<br /> <br />Anju, hit back at the minister’s charges that the council members – including Anju herself – were “corrupt” and “anti-Left”, raised the issue with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.<br /><br />Anju, gold medal winner in the 2005 Monte Carlo World Athletics Final and Padmashree awardee, said when she met the minister on Tuesday, she was hoping for a constructive discussion on the council’s work during her six months as its chief. She said she was, instead, greeted with hostility and barraged with outrageous allegations.<br /> <br />“He said the council members held nominated positions and were corrupt and threatened that he would cancel all official transfers and appointments. How can I possibly respond to that? We are here for sports; politics is not our concern,” Anju told DH.<br /><br />Jayarajan had recently caused serious embarrassment to the CPM-led government when he, in a condolence message on television, called late boxing legend Muhammad Ali an “eminent sportsperson from Kerala”.<br /><br />The minister confronted Anju over a transfer order; a handball coach who was transferred from Thiruvananthapuram to Pathanamthitta, had written to the minister seeking his reinstatement in Thiruvananthapuram, citing health issues. Jayarajan is learnt to have responded by marking the official file with a remark that all transfers would be revoked.<br /><br />Another blooper<br />The row over Anju Bobby George’s allegations against the Sports Minister took a farcical turn when senior Congress leader and former sports minister K Sudhakaran added his own blooper to the mix. While demanding Jayarajan’s ouster, Sudhakaran called Anju the wife of late volleyball icon Jimmy George. Sudhakaran, also a former MP, said Jayarajan “insulted” George’s family. Anju is married to Robert George, former triple jump champion and younger brother of Jimmy George.</p>
<p>Kerala’s Sports Minister E P Jayarajan has again courted controversy over offensive remarks he made during an interaction with Olympian and Kerala State Sports Council (KSSC) president Anju Bobby George.<br /> <br />Anju, hit back at the minister’s charges that the council members – including Anju herself – were “corrupt” and “anti-Left”, raised the issue with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.<br /><br />Anju, gold medal winner in the 2005 Monte Carlo World Athletics Final and Padmashree awardee, said when she met the minister on Tuesday, she was hoping for a constructive discussion on the council’s work during her six months as its chief. She said she was, instead, greeted with hostility and barraged with outrageous allegations.<br /> <br />“He said the council members held nominated positions and were corrupt and threatened that he would cancel all official transfers and appointments. How can I possibly respond to that? We are here for sports; politics is not our concern,” Anju told DH.<br /><br />Jayarajan had recently caused serious embarrassment to the CPM-led government when he, in a condolence message on television, called late boxing legend Muhammad Ali an “eminent sportsperson from Kerala”.<br /><br />The minister confronted Anju over a transfer order; a handball coach who was transferred from Thiruvananthapuram to Pathanamthitta, had written to the minister seeking his reinstatement in Thiruvananthapuram, citing health issues. Jayarajan is learnt to have responded by marking the official file with a remark that all transfers would be revoked.<br /><br />Another blooper<br />The row over Anju Bobby George’s allegations against the Sports Minister took a farcical turn when senior Congress leader and former sports minister K Sudhakaran added his own blooper to the mix. While demanding Jayarajan’s ouster, Sudhakaran called Anju the wife of late volleyball icon Jimmy George. Sudhakaran, also a former MP, said Jayarajan “insulted” George’s family. Anju is married to Robert George, former triple jump champion and younger brother of Jimmy George.</p>
