THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After prolonged uncertainty and sustained pressure from within the CPM and other quarters, Higher Education and Minorities Welfare Minister KT Jaleel resigned on Tuesday in the wake of Lok Ayukta finding him guilty of nepotism.
After CPM politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan conveyed the party’s decision during a formal meeting, Jaleel handed over the resignation letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s private secretary at Tuesday noon. The CM forwarded it to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.
Jaleel put ruling Left front in a tight spot when Lok Ayukta found him guilty of nepotism and abuse of power with regard to the appointment of his second cousin K T Adeeb as general manager of Kerala State Minorities and Development Finance Corporation. Lok Ayukta also said Jaleel should not continue as minister. Jaleel had allegedly changed the eligibility criteria for the post with the knowledge of the chief minister to accommodate Adeeb.
Muslim Youth League state general secretary P K Firos said CM is the co-accused in the case. State Congress president Mullapally Ramachandran said if the tainted minister had resigned on moral grounds, then the CM also should show the same morality. Party sources, however, said Jaleel resigned at the instruction of the CM.
Jaleel was under pressure after senior leaders contradicted on the issue. On Monday, Law Minister A K Balan came out in Jaleel’s support while politburo member M A Baby disowned him. Earlier, E P Jayarajan had resigned as industries minister after allegations of nepotism were levelled against him in connection with a key appointment at a public sector unit in 2016. Jaleel said he resigned on moral grounds.
“It would be some relief for those who bay for my blood,” he wrote in a Facebook post. While claiming innocent, he said he was haunted by the media and right-wing forces for the past two years over this issue. “You can’t conquer me, the most you can do is to kill me. I’ll be here with more strength,” he said.Be it the mark donation controversy or row over his doctoral thesis or nepotism, Jaleel has had his share of trouble as the higher education minister. Not a single year has passed -- over the past five years -- without Jaleel’s name being drawn into a controversy.
However, the CPM threw its weight behind Jaleel each time, even when his name figured in the suspected import of 250 cartons of the Holy Quran weighing around 4.5 tonnes. Despite the Customs, Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) tightened the noose around him in connection with the gold smuggling case, the party stood behind him. That when many party leaders had failed to receive such leniency in the past.
Among the chief reasons for CPM backing him is that he gave the party a chance to defeat IUML general secretary P K Kunhalikutty in his bastion. For CPM, Jaleel has since been a bridge to the Muslim community in Malappuram. His resignation is not expected to inflict much damage on the party or him. With only a few weeks left for this government’s term to end, the resignation is irrelevant in administrative parlance.
Party sources said the resignation will give him a chance for re-entry into the cabinet if the Left is voted to power next month. As he has moved court challenging the Lok Ayukta findings, a stay would suit the purpose after having resigned owning moral responsibility.
