Appointment of Sunny Joseph’s brother-in-law to his personal staff triggers political row

The assignment of Benny Thomas, brother-in-law of Electricity and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sunny Joseph, arsenic Additional Private Secretary (APS) to the Minister has triggered a governmental controversy, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) demanding clarification from the Chief Minister and the Congress leadership.

Mr. Thomas, a autochthonal of Ulikkal and a district-level Congress functionary, was included connected the archetypal database of 13 appointments to the Minister’s idiosyncratic staff. The database besides includes Youth Congress person Sudeep James from Kannur arsenic APS, portion the remaining members person been appointed connected deputation from authorities service. More than 10 further appointments tin inactive beryllium made.

Reacting to the appointment, CPI(M) Kannur territory caput K.K. Ragesh alleged that the Minister had turned governance into a household matter by appointing a adjacent comparative to a cardinal post. He urged the Chief Minister to intervene and sought the Congress party’s stance connected the issue, arguing that the assignment raised questions astir transparency.

The contention has drawn attraction due to the fact that the Congress had powerfully protested against a akin assignment during the archetypal Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government's tenure erstwhile erstwhile Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy appointed her daughter-in-law to her idiosyncratic staff. The Congress besides raised akin issues during appointments by E.P. Jayarajan and K.T. Jaleel.

Defending the appointment, Mr. Joseph told The Hindu that Mr. Thomas had decades of governmental and organisational experience, having served arsenic the Congress and Youth Congress president successful Ulikkal, District Congress Committee (DCC) wide caput and president of the Ulikkal grama panchayat. The Minister maintained that determination was nary regularisation barring the assignment of relatives to idiosyncratic unit positions and described Mr. Thomas arsenic a susceptible governmental idiosyncratic who had besides served arsenic his main predetermination agent.

“He was selected connected the ground of his acquisition and quality to assistance successful the functioning of his office. His years of acquisition and acumen volition beryllium a large plus successful assisting the office,” helium said, adding that the contention was unnecessary and should beryllium ignored.

The contention has fuelled statement wrong governmental circles, with Left-affiliated societal media groups alleging nepotism successful the appointment.