Political Kerala had a jolt on Thursday evening as an independent MLA in the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front dared Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to reply to his allegations against P Sasi, the political secretary of the chief minister and M R Ajith Kumar, additional director general of police.

P V Anvar, the MLA, hitherto considered as a close confidante of Vijayan, declared in a press meet at Nilambur that the Kerala Chief Minister is being held hostage by a coterie led by his new son-in-law Mohammed Riyaz (who is also the minister for PWD and tourism), political secretary Sasi and ADGP Ajith Kumar. “Pinarayi Vijayan will be the last Communist chief minister in the State. Even M V Govindan, the CPI(M) state secretary, does not have any role in the party or in the government today,” charged Anvar.

The seriousness of Anvar’s press meet could be understood from the fact that Governor Arif Mohammed Khan asked Raj Bhavan officials to translate a word by word account of what the MLA said in the presser.

The media meet was convened by Anvar in violation of the CPI(M) diktat to him not to speak to the media. But Anvar’s response to the directive has put the party and the chief minister in a quandary as he alleged that the police in the State had robbed gold worth crores of rupees smuggled into the country by poor Muslim workers returning home after their trip to West Asian countries.

“Last three years saw 180 instances of police seizing gold from poor workers returning home via Calicut International Airport. Though the police is bound to hand over the gold to the Customs department, they have not followed the instructions,” said Anvar who alleged that the gold was shared by the coterie consisting of Sasi and Ajith Kumar. He went to the extent of calling Ajith Kumar, one of the senior IPS officers in the State a “criminal”.

By the time the press meet was over, it was clear that Anvar had declared a war against Chief Minister and the CPI(M) leadership. But P C George, seven time MLA and a senior BJP leader in Kerala told

The Pioneer that Anvar himself has no credibility as he was facing serious criminal cases in connection with unauthorized construction of private check dams, quarrying and mining. “He is an Islamic terrorist and his allegations lack conviction,” said George.