Kerala CM refutes PR link to interview, but praises daily in the same breath

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday (October 3) addressed the media after the cabinet meeting in Thiruvananthapuram, attempting to navigate the turbulent waters of a public relations crisis that had erupted following a controversial interview published by The Hindu. The interview had sparked outrage due to remarks attributed to him regarding Malappuram, a district in Kerala, which were interpreted as linking the area to “anti-national activities.”

No link with any PR agency, says Pinarayi

As the chief minister addressed the media, he was met with a barrage of questions about his alleged ties to a public relations agency and the authenticity of his statements.

With an air of defiance, Vijayan declared, “Neither I nor my government has engaged a PR agency for interviews,” emphasising that no financial transactions had occurred with any agency. His tone suggested a mixture of irritation and resolve as he sought to clarify the circumstances surrounding the interview that has now become a focal point of political contention.

“I gave this interview on the suggestion of a young man acquainted to me as the son of a comrade,” he said, distancing himself from any insinuations that he had orchestrated a media strategy involving PR firms. He was referring to Subrahmanyan TD, son of former Harippad MLA and CPI(M)’s Alappuzha district committee member, TK Devakumar.

Contentious interview and backlash

The interview in question, published on September 30, included remarks that many found incendiary. In it, Vijayan was quoted allegedly discussing economic offenses linked to gold smuggling and hawala transactions in Malappuram. The backlash was swift; various Muslim organisations condemned the statements, leading to protests and calls for his resignation. Effigies of the chief minister were burned in public demonstrations, illustrating the depth of anger among those who felt unfairly targeted by his comments.

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Vijayan’s assertion during Thursday’s press conference that he had not made such statements was met with scepticism. He insisted that his words had been misrepresented and attributed this miscommunication to an unnamed individual who entered the interview unexpectedly. “I presumed that the third person who came to the room during the interview was part of The Hindu’s editorial team,” he said, adding layers of complexity to an already convoluted narrative. He was referring to Vineeth Handa, the founder and CEO of PR agency Kaizzen who was said to be present in the room.

Pinarayi’s praise for daily’s ‘editorial integrity’

The Hindu issued a clarification earlier, acknowledging that certain statements in their article were included at the behest of a public relations representative present during the interview. They explicitly stated that the agency approached their reporter to interview the Kerala chief minister.  The publication, however, is yet to officially refute Pinarayi’s claim on Thursday that he had not authorised anyone for this and that it was The Hindu reporter, accompanied by Subrahmanyan, who approached him for the interview.

During his press conference, the chief minister, however, praised The Hindu for its editorial integrity in correcting its error. “The Hindu has shown courage and conviction to admit mistakes... I wish I could say the same about other channels,” he remarked, subtly shifting blame onto other media outlets while attempting to salvage his reputation.

Was PR firm part of a bigger plot?

Despite these efforts, Opposition parties were quick to capitalise on the situation. They accused Pinarayi of attempting to manipulate public perception through strategic media engagements while denying any involvement with PR firms. The Congress demanded legal action against those responsible for allegedly misattributing statements during the interview. However, Pinarayi remained noncommittal on this front, stating that The Hindu had already clarified its position.

As this crisis unfolded, it became evident that it was not merely an isolated incident, but part of a broader political landscape involving public relation firms and political strategy planners. Kaizen, a PR firm relatively new in political strategizing, is said to be involved in more than just arranging this interview. According to sources, the agency had been working on behalf of a faction within the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) for some time and was expected to be given a major role in the lead-up to the upcoming local self-government (LSG) and Assembly elections.

Mystery shrouds PR agency-CMO ‘connection’

On 13 September, a note titled 'Kerala Government's Crackdown on Gold and Hawala Mafia - Is It Fuelling Allegations against CM Pinarayi Vijayan?' was circulated by this PR agency to a section of the media in New Delhi. Some newspapers and news agencies published the story without citing a source for the data. Interestingly, the same data was read out by the chief minister during his press conference on September 21. However, the chief minister has categorically denied any involvement, issuing a blanket statement that neither he nor his government has engaged a PR agency for such activities.

“We do not have any knowledge of professional agencies being entrusted with these kinds of assignments. It appears (on the media) they may be connected to someone within or around the CMO. If that information is accurate, whoever they are will have to answer to the party,” said a party leader who declined to comment further.

While both Vijayan and Kaizzen denied any formal engagement or financial transactions between them, questions lingered about how such misunderstandings could arise during what was supposed to be an official interview of a chief minister.

CM’s contrasting takes paint complex portrait

However, as more details surfaced about Kaizzen’s role in supplying news content to media outlets, it has become more apparent that the element of "plausible deniability" is currently shielding the chief minister. His efforts to distance himself from any involvement with a PR agency, while simultaneously defending The Hindu’s journalistic integrity, paint a complex portrait of a leader navigating both external scrutiny and internal party tensions.

However, sources in The Hindu, maintain they had sent the interview playback to the party "concerned" before publishing. It remains unclear whether they are referring to the CMO or the agency itself.

Kaizzen, on the other hand, is in troubled waters as several organisations have filed FIRs against both the newspaper and the agency. The allegations revolve around spreading false information that could incite communal hatred among different public sections. The management is quite concerned, as their executives believe that in the wake of the chief minister’s press conference, they could face legal repercussions for attributing statements to him that he did not make.