Kerala Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar, an ally of the CPI(M)-led LDF, acquired a reprieve on Tuesday after declaring that he wouldn’t press fees in opposition to his spouse Bindu Menon over allegations of infidelity, opening a brand new entrance within the battle between the LDF and the opposition Congress-led UDF forward of the state meeting elections.
In a shock to the LDF, Menon on Monday accused Kumar of infidelity, claiming that he was caught “red-handed” at his house with one other lady final Saturday. She additionally claimed that the minister’s aides manhandled her and stopped police from coming into the home after she raised a misery name.
Following the uproar, the Congress demanded the minister’s resignation and requested Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to take away him from the cupboard.
Menon stated Tuesday that she wouldn’t press fees as a result of her husband had “apologized.” She advised the media that Mr. Kumar known as her final evening to apologize.
Whilst stress mounted in opposition to CM Vijayan to take motion, the minister reached out to his estranged spouse. Kumar, a five-time MLA, is the chairman of the Kerala Congress (B), a splinter group of the regional get together Kerala Congress based by his father, the late R Balakrishna Pillai.
After Tuesday’s cupboard assembly, Kumar stated, “Do not count on me to resign. This cupboard time period ends in just a few days. Individuals love me. Some individuals thought I’d resign right this moment. That is not going to occur.”
Congress steps up assaults
However the parliament stood its floor and demanded the minister’s dismissal. Intensifying his assault on senior Congress chief and Chief of Opposition (LoP) Vijayan, VD Satheesan highlighted how late former Congress CM Oommen Chandy had eliminated Ganesh Kumar from his cupboard in 2013 following comparable allegations in opposition to him. Kumar, who was a member of the UDF, was pressured to resign as a minister after his then spouse Yamini Sankachi accused him of “home violence”. Vijayan, who was then CPI(M) state secretary, had requested Chandy to take away Kumar from the ministerial put up.
Kumar married Menon in 2014 after legally separating from Sankachi.
Menon stated on Monday that there had been issues in his household life for a few years attributable to Kumar’s relationships with a number of ladies.
Mr Kumar dismissed the allegations as “politically motivated” and a part of a “maneuver” by the Congress on the eve of elections. To the media, he quipped, “I have been in love 5,000 occasions.” “Anybody who’s in a state of madness can report back to the police. Nobody ought to intrude in my private issues. I’ve been a great public consultant, an MLA, and stood by the poor, free from corruption and communalism. My life is an open e book. If you wish to find out about love, I’ll clarify later.”
Satheesan claimed that the incident reveals “denial of justice” to ladies underneath LDF provisions. “The police can not assure justice to the minister’s spouse. Why did the police flip away with out recording her assertion or investigating whether or not she was manhandled? The CM ought to reply to the individuals of the state,” he stated.
Rise of Ganesh Kumar
Kumar, 59, who can be a movie actor, has been a member of the Pathanapuram Meeting since 2001. His Kerala Congress (B) has been a member of the UDF for a number of years. After profitable his debut election in 2001, he was inducted into the UDF cupboard. When the UDF returned to energy in 2011, he was appointed forest minister.
He switched to LDF earlier than the 2016 meeting elections and once more received from Pathanapuram. In 2021, he received the seat for a fifth consecutive time period and in 2023, Mr. Vijayan made him a minister.
Nevertheless, in 2023, the CBI, which investigated the solar energy rip-off allegations in opposition to the earlier Congress authorities, hinted at a political conspiracy behind the sexual abuse allegations in opposition to Chandy and pointed to Kumar’s alleged position in it.
“Double requirements” declare
The Congress stated Mr Kumar’s brawl uncovered the LDF’s “double requirements” over complaints associated to atrocities in opposition to ladies.
Congress leaders stated that when their get together’s MLA Rahul Mamkuttashir confronted allegations of sexual misconduct in August final 12 months, police filed a prison case in opposition to him primarily based on a grievance from a political activist, though the sufferer didn’t come ahead. “When Mamkuttashir was arrested in January, CPI(M) social media handles circulated a photograph of Vijayan holding a mug with an inscription, which was projected as a present of help for the rape sufferer,” they stated.
The Congress camp additionally alleged that the Chief Minister’s Workplace didn’t reply for over two weeks when the filmmaker filed a sexual harassment grievance in opposition to former Left MLA and movie director PT Kunju Muhammed in November final 12 months. The FIR was registered simply days after the municipal elections concluded.
Mr Satheesan stated the police ought to e book Mr Kumar and claimed that “critical crimes have been dedicated on this case”. Criticizing Mr. Vijayan, Mr. Satheesan added, “He mustn’t seem in public with that mug once more. We’ll use the photograph for election campaigning. Individuals are actually conscious of the distinction between CPI(M)’s phrases and deeds.”
