Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has welcomed Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau (VACB) decision to close the case against E P Jayarajan in connection with controversial appointment P K Sreemathy's son as MD of Kerala State Industrial Enterprises.
Reacting to the vigilance decision, Kodiyeri said that it was a welcome development. “It’s a welcome decision of the vigilance. The stand adopted by the vigilance and the courts was also welcome,” he said.
When asked whether Jayarajan who had to quit Cabient following the nepotism allegation would be reinducted following the vigilance clean chit, the CPM state secretary said that all those would be discussed and decided by the party.
CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran said CPM could take a decision on reinducting Jayarajan in Cabinet. However, he refused to comment on the vigilance decision.
Last year Central Committee based on the report of state secretariat, had warned Jayarjan and Sreemathy and asked them to be careful in future.
The politburo had found lapses on the part of the two leaders and recommended action after hearing their version. A section of Kerala leaders had backed Jayarajan saying that he had not committed any lapse which warranted stringent disciplinary action.
Jayarajan was forced to quit Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet in October 2016 after the state secretariat found lapses on his part in appointing Sreemathy’s son P K Sudheer as KSIE MD. While the state secretariat had left the decision on disciplinary action against them to the central leadership as both were members of the central committee, the process got delayed because of CPM state leadership could not submit a detailed report to the central leadership in time.
Ex-min rules out re-entry to cabinet
“Former vigilance DGP Jacob Thomas was instrumental in raking up the appointment controversy that resulted in my expulsion from the ministry,” says former minister EP Jayarajan.
Addressing reporters here in the wake of Vigilance recommending winding up the case of nepotism in appointments, Mr Jayarajan said that despite repeated pleas by his colleagues to vigilance to back out of incriminating him in the appointment row, Jacob Thomas deliberately targeted him. Mr Jayarajan also claimed that even if the vigilance failed to dispose the case, the High Court would have directed the department against continuing the case.
Known as Kannur’s strongman who was number two in the Cabinet, Jayarajan had admitted that he had committed a ‘mistake’ by appointing a close relative in a PSU. Jayarajan had landed in trouble after the appointment of his nephew, P K Sudheer Nambiar and son of Kannur MP P K Sreemathi as the Managing Director of Kerala Industrial Enterprises Ltd.
On the possibility of returning to power, Mr Jayarajan said that he would not be back as a minister.
