CPI(M)’s Silence on PSC Scandal, Uproar Over Satheesan’s Clean Chit

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The Kerala CPI(M)’s contrasting responses to two major controversies have once again raised uncomfortable questions about political consistency.

On one hand, the party has mounted an aggressive attack on the government’s decision to close the Punarjeni case against Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, accusing the administration of misusing power and demanding a CBI probe. On the other hand, it has maintained a conspicuous silence over what the Crime Branch has described as one of the gravest scandals to hit the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC), a constitutional body that represents the aspirations of lakhs of young job seekers.

Hours after Satheesan was given a clean chit, CPI(M) state secretary M.V. Govindan on Thursday issued a video statement targeting Satheesan and announced that they will not sit idle and will launch a protest against the clean chit.

The Crime Branch’s preliminary findings point to a meticulously planned manipulation of marks to secure the top rank to a crucial post in the State Planning Board to a known Left activist.

In the PSC case, investigators allege that evaluators deliberately ignored ten crucial answers carrying 58 marks, a move that reportedly transformed a candidate who would otherwise have failed to make the rank list into a topper.

The probe is expected to widen, with indications that even the PSC Chairman and board members could come under scrutiny.

The present PSC comprises members appointed during the Left government’s tenure.

Despite the seriousness of the allegations and their potential to undermine public confidence in Kerala’s recruitment system, the CPI(M) has refrained from publicly demanding accountability or seeking action against those responsible.

The contrast becomes sharper when viewed alongside the Punarjeni case.

The allegations against Satheesan first surfaced in 2018, following complaints over his overseas fund-raising initiative for flood victims. The previous Left government ordered multiple Vigilance inquiries into the matter.

Over nearly eight years, successive investigations failed to establish evidence linking Satheesan to any wrongdoing.

Acting on the Vigilance Director’s recommendation that no prosecutable material existed, the State Home Department under Minister Ramesh Chennithala decided to close the case.

The CPI(M)’s decision to question the outcome while remaining largely silent on allegations surrounding a constitutional institution staffed by its own appointees has invited criticism.

For thousands of aspirants whose faith rests in the integrity of the PSC, the CPI(M)’s silence over an alleged recruitment scam may prove more damaging than the politics surrounding a case that has already undergone years of official scrutiny.