Interview/ P.V. Anvar, Mla
Q/ Do you feel that the chief minister is vilifying the Muslim minority and Malappuram district?
A/ Yes. But not just the [Muslim] minority. The human-animal conflict badly affects the Christian community in the Western Ghats. That subject is also being handled by the chief minister in the same manner. The government has not paid any attention.
Q/ Do you believe the chief minister’s recent actions are a result of the poor show in the Lok Sabha elections?
A/ Yes, absolutely. The government failed to provide welfare pensions on time, government stores were depleted, and the significant increase in application and permit fees for new houses and buildings sparked widespread outrage. Additionally, issues like human-animal conflict and government inaction were widely discussed. All of these contributed to the electoral loss. Policing was another major concern; the relationship between the police and the public was chaotic. There were numerous problems in the transport sector, with increased taxes prompting many tourist buses to register in other states.
Moreover, the Central government’s Jal Jeevan project encountered obstacles because the state did not allocate necessary funds. These issues were not adequately examined by the CPI(M), which concluded that minorities had abandoned them. In reality, minorities did not abandon the party. The BJP has constructed a narrative that blames the CPI(M)’s electoral failure on its perceived appeasement of the Muslim minority. The allegations made by the BJP against the LDF were accepted as a fact. As a result, the party decided to shift towards hindutva politics.
This is reflected in the chief minister’s remarks. The police look at the predominantly minority district of Malappuram as communal, a hub for smugglers and a hotspot for criminal activity, demonstrating a clear bias. Instead of addressing the actual issues, the chief minister is moving towards aligning with the BJP to gain its approval. That is the core problem.
Q/ Do you believe the chief minister benefits personally from the gold smuggling you mentioned?
A/ I can’t say for certain whether the chief minister is personally profiting from it. However, I am convinced that some of the financial gains are reaching P. Sasi (chief minister’s political secretary), who is part of the CM’s office. I don’t know if it stops with him or goes further, but I am thousand per cent sure it’s getting to Sasi. Otherwise, how could this have continued for three years? We have the special branch, vigilance and crime branch―someone should have noticed this.
Q/ While making the allegations, did you anticipate the reactions you are getting now?
A/ I never expected rejection. What I said was based on solid evidence. I thought the party would investigate the issues and take a stand.
Q/ But what did you expect after talking about the chief minister?
A/ When did I start talking about the chief minister? I spoke only about Sasi and the ADGP (M.R. Ajith Kumar). I mentioned the chief minister only after he suggested that someone involved in gold smuggling was making allegations to undermine the police’s spirit. When the media asked him who he was referring to, he replied, “I don’t know. You investigate.” That was when I decided to speak out.