Kerala stands shocked as Marxists appoint wives of leaders in Govt service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (Feb 07 HS): Within days after BJP president JP Nadda said corruption and nepotism have become a way of life for the CPI(M)-led Kerala Government, the State is caught up in a major recruitment scam. “More than three lakh CPI(M) workers have been appointed  into the Government service by the Pinarayi Vijayan Government in Kerala. The Public Service Commission has been degenerated into a board for recruiting party workers in violation of all norms and laws in the land,” Nadda had told while addressing a mammoth rally at Thrissur on Friday.

By Saturday, the whole of Kerala was shocked by the news of how rules were blatantly violated by the Pinarayi Vijayan government to appoint the Ninitha, wife of former Lok Sabha member M B Rajesh as assistant professor in Sree Sankara Sanskrit University, Kaladi. Though the post was reserved for the candidate from Muslim community, Ninita (though a born Muslim but declared along with her husband that they were above religion and community) “hijacked” the job using her religion as an alibi.

Rajesh, well known for his arrogance and scorn for others in the party, blamed Dr Umar Tharamel, member of the interview board, for leaking the information about his wife’s appointment to the media. Dr Tharamel has challenged the MP to come out with documentary evidence to substantiate the allegation. Sree Sankara Sanskrit University which was set up for academic research in fields like Vedanta, philosophy and Sanskrit literature, has been converted into a job placement agency by both the Congress and the CPI(M) to employ party activists without any qualifications.

This is not  a single incident of violation of rules in appointing party activists to Government service. Last week’s cabinet meeting presided over by chief minister Vijayan saw 140 temporary employees (all CPI(M) activists) getting regularised into the government service. All these recruitments are happening at a time when thousands of youth who cleared the PSC examination and interview waiting for more than three years for their appointment letters. Kerala may be the only State in India to have a trade union for those who cleared the PSC recruitment drive but yet to get the promised job.

Last month saw the higher education department appointing the wife of A Vijayaraghavan, who is holding the post of CPI(M) State secretary in the absence of Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, a the deputy principal of a government college in Thrissur. The principal of the college, who was shocked over the violation of all norms in the appointment, tendered her resignation and left  the job despite her being an activist  CPI(M) worker.