Independent legislator P.V. Anvar’s meeting with the Kerala Chief Minister
Independent legislator P.V. Anvar met with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the government Secretariat on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. This meeting comes after Anvar made significant allegations against Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, M.R. Ajith Kumar, accusing him of corruption, criminal activity, illegal wealth accumulation, and nepotism.
Speaking to reporters outside the Secretariat, Anvar stated he would provide further details during a press conference at the MLA Hostel later.
In stunning comments, Anvar held Vijayan’s political secretary, P. Sasi, accountable for allowing Kumar to operate without oversight, dismissing warning signs regarding the officer’s conduct. He expressed that Sasi had failed in his duty to the Chief Minister.
Support for Anvar
Anvar received backing from within the CPI(M). Party legislator U. Prathibha shared her solidarity with Anvar, advising him he was challenging powerful interests. LDF convenor T.P. Ramakrishnan announced that the party and the government would investigate Anvar’s claims against Sasi.
Anvar indicated he would formally submit his allegations against Kumar to the Chief Minister, asserting he possesses evidence to support his claims.
He further characterized Kumar’s behavior as akin to that of notorious criminal figures, claiming he had endangered himself to gather compromising information to protect Vijayan politically.
Opposition Outcry
Officials from the opposition, including Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan and BJP State president K. Surendran, denounced the government’s investigation into Anvar’s allegations as inadequate. They called for a judicial inquiry into the Chief Minister’s Office and demanded the removal of Kumar from his position to ensure an impartial investigation.
Both opposition parties highlighted that the government’s inquiry should extend to Kumar’s responses and Anvar’s charges from Malappuram.
Citing potential internal conflicts of interest, they criticized the decision to allow Kumar to remain in his role during the investigation. Notably, they expressed dissatisfaction with the minor action taken against Sujith Das, the former District Police Chief, for alleged misconduct.
The Congress and BJP labeled the State Police Chief, Sheikh Darvesh Sahib, as ineffective within the current political climate, threatening public demonstrations if the government continues to protect alleged offenders. They stated that Anvar’s accusations have instigated public concern regarding significant government ethical violations.
Emerging Conspiracy Theories
Added complexity arose as Congress and CPI leaders claimed certain law enforcement agencies may have intentionally undermined the Thrissur Pooram festival to favor the BJP ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Both local candidates, V.S. Sunil Kumar of the CPI and K. Muraleedharan from the UDF, suggested that a conspiracy might be at play, and called for the disclosure of inquiry committee findings related to the incident. Muraleedharan outright accused Vijayan of facilitating chaos during the festival in exchange for leniency concerning ongoing investigations into the CPI(M)-controlled Karuvannur cooperative bank.
