: A controversial Facebook post by Kannur MP P.K. Sreemathy on Thursday put her party on the back foot as the row continues over the issue of appointment of relatives of party leaders to key posts controlled by the government.
The Facebook post on the official page of the MP was later withdrawn, apparently after it triggered a controversy in Communist Party of India (Marxist) circles. The post was on the controversial posting of her daughter-in-law as her personal staff 10 years ago when she was Health Minister in the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
In the post, now withdrawn, Ms. Sreemathy said that her daughter-in-law had been appointed after getting clearance from the party leadership.
In the Facebook post, Ms. Sreemathy said that she had remained silent over the past 10 years to avert any adversity for the party. The decision of the party that party Ministers could appoint on their own three persons each as staff in their official residences was informed by the then party secretary.
She said she had appointed her daughter-in-law after getting consent (from the party).
‘Not an isolated case’
When it was decided to upgrade those on the personal staff having degrees, her daughter-in-law was also upgraded, she said. Stating that the appointment of relatives in Ministers’ residences was not an isolated case, she said that her relative’s appointment alone came under media scrutiny. She denied that her daughter-in-law was now getting pension as was alleged by the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Ms. Sreemathy’s comment has come in the wake of the row over the appointment of her son P.K. Sudheer, who is also the nephew of Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan, as Managing Director of the Kerala State Industrial Enterprises and the appointment of the wife of the Minister’s brother’s son as General Manager of the public sector Kerala Clays and Ceramics Products Ltd. here. Though the Facebook post was withdrawn, it was a hot topic of discussion in social media platforms.
