In Thiruvananthapuram, on March 9, the UDF, which had been facing pressure due to sexual assault allegations against Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, strongly criticized the ruling LDF after Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar’s wife made allegations against him.
Ganesh Kumar’s wife had previously stated that she had found him in his Valakom home in Kollam district with a woman, allegations that the minister has denied.
She also alleged that attempts were made to take her mobile phone when she tried to take pictures, and that she did not receive adequate help even after calling the police.
Opposition Leader in the Kerala Assembly, V D Satheesan, while refraining from commenting on the personal allegations, criticized the police and the Home Department, headed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, for allegedly failing to assist the minister’s wife.
He said that the minister’s wife had stated that she had not received any assistance from the police during the incident.
“If the wife of a minister does not receive justice, then which woman in Kerala will?” Satheesan said.
He also alleged that Kumar’s staff had attempted to snatch her mobile phone despite her cries for help.
“What did the police do after arriving there? They did not even inquire about what happened to her or attempt to help her. What kind of police is that?” he asked.
Satheesan also criticized the chief minister for remaining silent on the issue.
“He claims to be a champion of women’s safety. I remember when he was holding a sign supporting women’s safety. Those were just PR tactics,” he said.
He also stated that Kumar’s claim that the allegations were politically motivated was untrue.
“The allegations were not made by the UDF. How can a complaint by his wife be considered a complaint by the UDF? Did we conspire with his wife to make her speak out?” he asked.
Satheesan said that the UDF responded only after Kumar’s wife publicly disclosed the issue, although the matter had been circulating on social media earlier.
“Several people contacted me about the matter. But I instructed that no one should respond without knowing the facts,” he said.
Without naming Mamkootathil, Satheesan said that when the front faced a similar issue, it had taken action, referring to the expulsion of the Palakkad MLA from the Congress.
“I am waiting for the chief minister’s response in this matter. Now you understand the difference between them and the Congress,” he said.
He said that the minister’s personal affairs were not the concern of the opposition.
“The minister may have 5,000 lovers, and that is his personal matter. But we are concerned about the alleged assault on his wife at his direction,” he said.
Mamkootathil also reacted to the issue and said that Kumar should realize that it was a consequence of the earlier allegations raised against former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, referring to the sexual assault allegation against Chandy that was later closed by the CBI.
Mamkootathil also questioned allegations that the minister’s wife’s phone had been tracked.
“How can a minister know what calls and messages his wife receives? Do state machineries function like this?” he asked.
He also claimed that Kumar’s wife had said she informed the Chief Minister’s daughter about the incident, but no action followed.
Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala demanded that Kumar should resign immediately or be asked to do so by the Chief Minister.
“Even after three days had passed and the Chief Minister’s daughter was informed about the incident, was Mr Pinarayi Vijayan sleeping?” he asked.
He also recalled that Kumar had been forced to resign as a minister when the Kerala Congress (B) was part of the UDF government between 2011 and 2016.
“People may now understand why Kumar’s resignation was sought by then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy,” he said.
Oommen Chandy’s son, Chandy Oommen, said he did not wish to comment as it was a personal matter.
“I am not interested in personality assassination. We have faced similar allegations earlier, and I want to take a stand that my father took then,” he said.
Meanwhile, CPI(M) general secretary M A Baby said he did not believe there had been any failure on the part of the police.
When asked whether it was appropriate to allow Kumar to contest elections amid such allegations, he said the decision would be taken by the LDF.
He also asked whether the allegations against Kumar could be compared with the Mamkootathil case.
“Mamkootathil’s matter was widely discussed when it required attention. I am coming to know about this matter only now. Leaders in Kerala will respond appropriately,” he said.
Kerala Higher Education Minister R Bindu said that everyone should behave responsibly towards women, though she had not yet studied the details of the allegations.
“It would be better to comment after knowing more details,” she said.
She added that the issue should have been directly brought to the notice of the Chief Minister.
“Instead of informing the Chief Minister’s daughter, the Chief Minister himself should have been told about the complaint. We have a government committed to strengthening women’s safety in the state and appropriate action will be taken,” she said.