CPI(M) leaders blame media for raking up controversy over 'leaked' letter on social media

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 18 (IANS) A day after a fresh controversy centering around a ‘leaked letter’ broke out and hit the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala, a former state minister on Monday said if an apology doesn’t come from the person who levelled the allegation, he would file a defamation suit.

Former Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac said if he (Muhammad Sharshad) doesn’t apologise and withdraw his allegation, “I will take it to its logical conclusion. The media should not have made this an issue as the contents of the now so-called 'leaked letter' were posted in his social media long back.”

State Local Self Government Minister, M.B. Rajesh, who has also been accused by Muhammad Sharshad of having allegedly received illegal gratification from London-based businessman Rajesh Krishna, said the media should not behave irresponsibly.

“This so-called letter has been making the rounds in social media since the past four years. Every time when elections approach something or the other surfaces. Last election time it was an allegation against my wife. What happened to it? Before it used to hurt me, but now I am least bothered,” said the Minister.

It was on Sunday that the controversy surfaced after a Chennai-based businessman alleged that Shyam, son of CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan, was involved in leaking a confidential complaint submitted to the party’s Politburo.

The Chennai-based businessman, Muhammad Sharshad, said he had submitted a complaint disclosing alleged illegal financial transactions involving certain CPI(M) leaders.

The leaders named include Isaac, M.B. Rajesh, former Speaker and a few others.

According to him, the documents attached to his petition were leaked and later surfaced as evidence in a defamation case filed by London-based businessman Rajesh Krishna.

Meanwhile, emerging from the CPI(M) Politburo meeting in New Delhi on Monday, party General Secretary M.A. Baby said he had just come out for lunch and had to return for the meeting.

“There is no response for baseless allegations,” said Baby, while Govindan said he does not “react to nonsense” when he was asked about it just ahead of the meeting.

Meanwhile, top Opposition party leaders from the BJP and the Congress have slammed the CPI(M) and its leaders for the way they operate on the sly and have demanded that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan break his silence on this issue.

--IANS

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