Kasaragod district panchayat president Baby Balakrishnan on Monday defended the temporary appointment of wives of three accused in the Periya twin murder case. The appointments were made at the Kanhangad district hospital.
Her explanation came amidst a strong protest raised by the opposition parties. On Monday, Youth League activists marched to the district panchayat office to protest against the illegal appointment of the wives of the three accused.
Following this, Ms. Balakrishnan denied the allegations of unlawful appointment, saying that the team comprising the hospital superintendent and the nursing superintendent interviewed and selected them. There was nothing unusual about it, she told the media.
"Family background was not checked and all they did was approve the list they had prepared, The appointment for the post of sweeper is temporary and it is a coincidence that the wives of the accused were selected," she said, adding that those who had interviewed them did not know about it.
"Don't the wives of the accused have the right to live? Just because they are wives of the accused, don't they have human rights and are they not entitled to work?” Ms. Balakrishnan asked, defending the appointments.
She claimed that many were reluctant to come for the interview because of the COVID-19 lockdown.
