The CPI(M)-led Kerala Government has come under attack from a young woman in Kollam alleging that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was helping a member of his council of Ministers who misused his official position to hush up a sexual assault case.
A K Saseendran, Minister of forests and the lone representative of the NCP in the Kerala Government has been accused by the lady and her father of threatening them from going ahead with a sexual assault case against the former’s friend, a business man.
The audio clip featuring the Minister’s telephonic conversation with the lady and her father has been in circulation in the vernacular media for the last two days. Saseendran is no stranger to such allegations because during the previous tenure of the Pinarayi Vijayan Government, he had to resign following charges of seeking sexual favours from another lady.
Saseendran was re-admitted to the council of Ministers following a settlement reached with the complainant. But this time, the charges are more serious as the minister’s voice is discernible in the audio clip.
Though he dismissed the allegations, Saseendran admitted that he had tried to broker peace with both the parties as they were members of the NCP. P C Chacko, president of Kerala NCP, pooh poohed the opposition UDF’s demand to oust Saseendran from the cabinet. “I held discussion with Saseendran about the incident and I am fully convinced of his innocence in the case,” Chacko, who had joined the NCP days before the April 6 Assembly election, told media persons.
Saseendran drove down to Chief Minister Vijayan’s official bungalow on Wednesday morning and the duo was closeted for more than an hour. Later, speaking to reporters, Saseendran said that he had told whatever transpired during the telephonic conversation.
A Vijayaraghavan, acting secretary of the Kerala CPI(M), who also heads the liaison committee of the Left Democratic Front, said at Thiruvananthapuram that the full facts associated with the case are yet to reach the CPI(M). “We cannot take any action without studying the full details associated with the case,” said Vijayaraghavan.