Kerala CPI(M) State secretary accuses CMO of harbouring synthetic drug peddlers
CPI(M) leader M.V. Govindan has accused the Kerala Chief Minister's office of having ties to synthetic drug peddlers following the arrest of Youth Congress members. He further criticized the government for its reliance on central forces and alleged censorship of social media criticism.
Why it matters
The accusations highlight intense political polarization and allegations of criminal-political nexus in Kerala state politics.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary M.V. Govindan on Tuesday sought to highlight the arrest of four Youth Congress leaders on synthetic drug peddling charges as emblematic of the “rot” in Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan’s office.
Mr. Govindan told a press conference that the police had “inadvertently” arrested Youth Congress leaders Muhammad Hussien and P.A. Abdul Salam and P. Abbas based on anonymous information without realising their political heft. He alleged that the accused managed Mr. Satheesan’s social media handles, including the dissemination of social media reels lionising the Chief Minister.
He said the videos of Mr. Satheesan fraternising with them in the Chief Minister’s Office and also visiting their houses had gone viral on social media. “There is official footage of one of them accompanying Indian Union Muslim League leader and Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty to the Assembly,” he added.
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