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Amid row, Kerala HC issues notice to Thiruvananthapuram mayor over letter
A letter purportedly written by her, seeking a list of party activists for appointment to 295 temporary posts in the corporation, surfaced last week, triggering a series of protests across the state capital. The letter was addressed to CPI(M) district secretary Anavoor Nagappan
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala high court on Thursday issued notices to the state government and Thiruvananthapuram mayor Arya Rajendran on a plea seeking an inquiry by Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) into a controversial letter purportedly written by her on employing party cadres in the corporation.
Justice K Babu also issued notices to the CBI, deputy mayor P K Raju and ruling Left Democratic Front’s Parliamentary secretary D R Anil Kumar after admitting the petition filed by former councillor of the corporation, G S Sreekumar, and posted the matter for November 25, people aware of the matter said on condition of anonymity.
Appointed at the age of 21, Rajendran was the country’s youngest Mayor when she assumed power in 2020.
A letter purportedly written by her, seeking a list of party activists for appointment to 295 temporary posts in the corporation, surfaced last week, triggering a series of protests across the state capital. The letter was addressed to CPI(M) district secretary Anavoor Nagappan.
HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the letter.
While the mayor denied writing the letter, the Kerala government on Sunday directed the state police chief to initiate an investigation into the matter.
In his petition in the high court, Sreekumar alleged over a 1,000 appointments were made at the corporation in the last two years through backdoor channels and acts of nepotism, and that corrupt practices were ruling the corporation.
Mayor Rajendran along with Kumar “subverted the employment chances of thousands” of qualified people through their acts, he said. Party workers are initially taken for temporary vacancies but later regularised, he added.
“The above act of nepotism is against the oath taken by her (mayor) at the time of swearing in and she and the party parliamentary secretary should be tried under relevant laws against corruption,” the petition, filed through advocate K R Rajkumar, said.
“This issue itself is having an epic proportion of corruption which has been institutionalised after the present dispensation has come into existence,” it added.
The action of the respondents (Rajendran and Kumar) literally is cheating the thousands who had applied based on the notifications, it said. “The procedure adopted by the respondents is to favour the party members or the persons who are to be made potential party workers,” it alleged.
An investigation by a state agency will not suffice as “there are political bigwigs who are involved in this operation and have the might to have the issue brushed under the carpet”, Sreekumar said.
Amid protests by opposition parties, the mayor said she suspects the matter to be politically motivated and brushed aside demands for her resignation by terming the same as a “joke”.
She said she has neither signed nor sent any such letter to the party secretary.
“The government has announced a probe by the crime branch. Let the truth come out,” Rajendran said.
The opposition Congress and BJP said they will continue their protest till she quits her post.
“It is ironic the Mayor went to Delhi last week to participate in a programme against the Centre called “Where is our job” but back home she was illegally recruiting party cadres in government jobs. Her party is exposed now,” said BJP leader V V Rajesh. “Both Congress and BJP have teamed up for a senseless stir. There is no question of her resigning,” said CPI(M) district secretary Anavoor Nagappan.
