After Hema panel report, MLA Anvar's outrage shakes up Pinarayi govt

CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan's media briefing on Saturday (August 31) following the party's state committee meeting was dominated by calls for the resignation of MLA M Mukesh, who faces sexual assault allegations, including rape, in the aftermath of the Hema Committee report.

The party, however, maintained that Mukesh should not step down at this stage, arguing that doing so would be a denial of justice. “If he resigns on moral grounds, he cannot reclaim his position if acquitted by the court,” Govindan said. Mukesh, however, has been removed from the committee tasked with formulating the state's film policy.

Govindan also briefed the press on the decision to remove Central Committee member EP Jayarajan from the post of convener of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala following the controversy after his meeting with BJP leader Prakash Javadekar, which he himself confirmed on the day of the Lok Sabha polling on April 26.

Nilambur MLA’s rebellion

Though the party secretary spent a major chunk of his time in the press conference on these two issues, another political storm was brewing with Nilambur MLA PV Anvar, a Left-backed independent, lashing out at the Home Department and some senior police officers, including ADGP MR Ajithkumar.

While the party secretary told the media that they would look into the matter and take appropriate action, it was evident that the MLA’s public critique of the police, including the release of audio clips of his conversation with the former district police chief of Malappuram, had not gone down well with the government and the party.

Anvar, the outspoken legislator with a Congress background, has been a fellow traveller of the CPI(M) since 2011 and has served as the MLA from Nilambur, a traditional UDF stronghold, for the last two terms. He had unsuccessfully contested the assembly elections in 2011 from Eranad as an independent and the Lok Sabha elections from Ponnani as the LDF candidate in 2014.

Anvar lashes out

The latest controversy began when Anvar lashed out at the current district police chief (DPC) for making him wait at a function, escalating to him making serious allegations against the DPC.

The following day, the MLA visited the Police Superintendent’s camp house to inquire about an allegation of tree felling from the compound, but he was stopped by the sentry and sent back.

Anvar staged a sit-in protest in front of the DPC’s camp office, demanding a series of actions and levelling serious accusations against ADGP Ajithkumar, who the MLA claims, is carrying out the agenda of the Sangh Parivar. He even released a recording of a phone conversation between himself and the former district police chief of Malappuram, Sujith Das, who is now the DPC of Pathanamthitta.

In the recording, the DPC is heard making serious allegations including embezzlement against the ADGP, and badmouthing his colleagues, the current police chiefs of Malappuram and Palakkad.

Serious charges against top cop

Anvar held another explosive press conference on Sunday, alleging that ADGP Ajithkumar is a “hardcore criminal involved in orchestrating killings as part of a gold smuggling racket”.

“It seems Ajithkumar’s role model is Dawood Ibrahim and similar figures, as he appears to be influenced by them. He is tapping the phone calls of ministers and other politicians using a team within the Police Cyber Cell. A faction within the police, aligned with Ajithkumar, is working to undermine the party and the government without fully understanding the chief minister’s directions.” He also accused CPI(M) leader P Sasi, the political secretary to the CM, of being a failure for not taking action to stop this.

With the MLA holding a news conference and levelling allegations against a top cop, while implicating the chief minister’s office, the situation has now escalated far beyond where it stood when Govindan briefed the media about the party's position on Saturday.

Anvar was disgruntled with his demands being repeatedly denied by the chief minister’s office after Sasi took charge as the political secretary, according to a party leader from Malappuram. The issue took a sharp turn when his complaint against a controversial media house owner, involving multiple allegations, was cold-shouldered by the police.

Not resigning, says Anvar

Speculation is rife that Anvar could tender his resignation, putting the CPI(M) in a crisis they certainly do not want at this time, especially with the fallout of the Hema Commission report and the allegations against Mukesh already overwhelming their agenda.

However, the MLA has shot down this speculation in a Facebook post addressing the media house owner in a harsh language, stating that he would neither quit nor put the party in a spot.

“Pinarayi Vijayan is like a father figure to me. I am trying to protect him from the forces that are trapping him, just as a son should,” he said in the news conference.

According to the party leadership in Malappuram, the issue needs to be taken seriously. Anvar's revolt has deeper roots than it appears. The party's new-found friendship with disgruntled Congress leader Aryadan Shoukath, son of former minister and late Congress leader Aryadan Mohammed, has left Anvar feeling insecure and frustrated with the party.

Notably, another CPI(M)-backed MLA and former minister KT Jaleel has openly supported Anvar in this matter and called for a high-level inquiry into the allegations made by the MLA. State Sports Minister V Abdu Rahman, another CPI(M)-backed independent with a Congress background, also stands with Anvar on this issue.

Opposition seeks CBI probe

The Opposition has already taken up the matter and is demanding a CBI inquiry into the allegations made by the LDF MLA. “The allegations are very serious and involve the chief minister’s office. A central agency should probe this at the earliest, and the officers in question should be removed from their positions,” demanded VD Satheesan, the Leader of the Opposition.

With a series of serious issues emerging, the Pinarayi Vijayan government is under immense pressure to act swiftly and judiciously.