Categorically stating the she has not “directly or indirectly” sent the alleged letter to Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] district secretary Anavoor Nagappan asking him for a “priority list” of applicants for temporary posts in the health wing of the city Corporation, Thiruvananthapuram Mayor Arya Rajendran has said that the controversy is the latest episode in various attempts to defame her and tarnish her image, ever since she took charge.
She was speaking to presspersons at her home on Sunday evening, after meeting Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and handing over a complaint demanding an inquiry to trace the origins of the letter.
“I have not directly or indirectly signed or prepared such a letter. There is no precedent of sending such letters in the CPI(M). No one has seen the original copy of this letter. I have seen only what seems to be an edited version. It is my need too that this is investigated properly. I don’t suspect anyone in the office. Several days back, the Corporation had published advertisements for posts that were mentioned in the alleged letter. So, there is nothing new in the content either,” she said.
She said she had left for Delhi on October 31 and returned to Kerala on November 4. The officials in the Mayor’s office had said that they had not initiated any such letters. Only once in the past had she signed a document which was mailed to her, when she was away from the city, said Ms. Rajendran.
CPI(M) support
CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan also extended support to the Mayor and said that the Left Democratic Front (LDF) did not believe in back-door appointments. Temporary appointments were made everywhere through employment exchanges, he said.
Meanwhile, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to step up its agitation demanding the Mayor’s resignation. BJP State president K. Surendran said the Mayor’s claim that she had not written such a letter only increased the concern of the general public, as it showed that the Mayor’s office was in disarray.
BJP district president and councillor V.V. Rajesh will meet Governor Arif Mohammad Khan along with other BJP councillors on Monday in an effort to get him to intervene in the issue. The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) has also stepped up its attacks against the Mayor and the ruling LDF.
Published - November 06, 2022 08:35 pm IST
