Kerala CPI-M leader alleges fund scam, Congress demands impartial probe

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 23 (IANS) Kerala politics on Friday was jolted by explosive revelations made by senior CPI-M leader and Kannur district committee V. Kunjikrishnan, alleging large-scale financial irregularities within the party, leading to the opposition latching on to attack the ruling dispensation.

Kunjikrishnan alleged that Payyannur MLA T.I. Madhusoodanan and his group misappropriated more than Rs one crore, including funds from the party’s martyrs’ fund.

According to him, manipulations were carried out through three major channels — the Dhanraj Martyrs’ Fund, the election fund, and the party office construction fund.

He claimed funds were diverted through financial irregularities and misuse of accounts.

This scam surfaced in an interview given to a local media channel on Friday, where Kunjikrishnan said he had submitted complaints to the state leadership along with documentary evidence, including bank statements.

Despite this, no action was taken, he alleged, and instead attempts were made to silence him.

He also pointed out that he has penned these details in his book “Nethakkale Thiruthan Anikal (Cadres to Correct the Leaders)”.

“I am the printer and publisher of the book, and I have also mentioned what happened to the CPI-M) in West Bengal and Tripura,” Kunjikrishnan said, adding that after the interview came out on Friday, no one from the party has contacted him till now.

The disclosures have triggered a sharp political response, with Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan taking the lead in mounting an opposition offensive against the ruling party.

Satheesan said the Congress would fully take up the issue of fund misappropriation.

Terming Kunjikrishnan’s revelations as extremely serious, he remarked that since the CPI-M appears to have its own internal “court”, such matters are unlikely to ever reach a police station.

His statement underscored the opposition’s charge that the party leadership is shielding those accused of wrongdoing.

State Congress President Sunny Joseph demanded that a criminal case be registered and a detailed investigation conducted.

He asserted that the fraud was evident and amounted to grave financial misconduct, stressing that the misused funds were collected from the general public.

Joseph pointed out that the allegations were not raised by political opponents but by a CPI-M district committee member himself, strengthening the case for an impartial probe.

He also insisted that the government must be prepared to allow a proper investigation.

Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala echoed these demands, challenging the CPI-M to demonstrate moral integrity by taking action in the Dhanraj Martyrs’ Fund scam.

He alleged that money collected in the name of martyrs was being looted by party leaders and said continued silence would only deepen public distrust.

With the Assembly in session and the Congress already joining issue, this could well be another topic that, if taken up, could see tensions rising.

With the opposition sharpening its attack and the allegations coming from within CPI-M ranks, the controversy has escalated into a major political flashpoint, raising uncomfortable questions for the ruling party about transparency, accountability, and internal discipline.

–IANS

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