Kerala’s political skyline is in for a change though it is too early to predict when it would happen. Ice has started melting in the ties between the CPI(M) and the Muslim League.
K T Jaleel, former Minister for higher education in the CPI(M)-led Government (2016-2021) has become a persona non grata in the party, if the comments from the top leadership are any indication. Reactions by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and party’s Kerala secretary A Vijayaraghavan expressing unhappiness over Jaleel’s comments against P K Kunhalikutty, the League strongman, are being seen as the party’s willingness to play ball with the Muslim League.
On Monday, Jaleel, a former SIMI chief, alleged that Kunhalikutty had used the A R Nagar Cooperative Bank in Malappuram district for money laundering. Jaleel charged that Kunhalikutty, a former Minister of industries in the Oommen Chandi-led UDF Government (2011 to 2016) had made use of the Cooperative Bank branch for laundering Rs 1,100 crore which he had received as kick-backs and commissions for deals involving some of the public sector units in the State. He further stated that Kunhalikutty had also used the accounts of Chandrika (the daily owned by Muslim League) to convert unaccounted money to white .
“I have handed over all relevant documents to the Enforcement Directorate and it is sure that they would summon Kunhalikutty for grilling,” Jaleel told media persons on Thursday at Kochi after his meeting with the ED officials. He had called on Vijayan on Thursday morning for an unscheduled meeting. Jaleel said after the meeting that he had told Vijayan about the details which he would be handing over to the ED.
But the stance of former SIMI leader was repudiated by Chief Minister Vijayan when the latter briefed the media on Tuesday.
“There is no need for the ED to investigate transactions in Cooperative Banks. It comes under the jurisdiction of the State Government. Jaleel may have been charmed by the ED,” said Vijayan which is being seen as a snubbing to Jaleel.
Jaleel had been interrogated by the ED officials twice in 2020 in connection with the illegal import of Qurans, dates and other materials from UAE under the Ramadan Relief Package. It was reported that the import of Quran and other materials were a façade for smuggling gold from the UAE with the connivance of diplomats from the oil kingdom posted in Thiruvananthapuram.
On Wednesday, V N Vasavan, minister for cooperation and Vijayaraghavan told reporters that Jaleel was misusing his position to settle personal score with Kunhalikutty. “We do not subscribe to the views expressed by Jaleel,” said Vasavan.
Chroniclers of Kerala’s political history, like P Sujathan, told this newspaper that they were not at all amused by the thaw in CPI(M)-Muslim League ties. “The Muslim League was an important ally of two CPI (M) led govrnments in the past. They were in alliance during 1967-69 when E M S Namboodirippadu was the chief minister. The CPI(M) had formed the E K Nayanar-led government in 1980 with All India Muslim League, a faction of the parent party,” said Sujathan.