Widespread violent protests in Kerala demanding K T Jaleel's resignation

Kerala on Saturday witnessed widespread violent protests by various opposition parties and their youth wings demanding the resignation of state Higher Education Minister K T Jaleel who was quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate officials on Friday.

Several workers, including BJP state spokesperson B Gopalakrishnan, were injured in police action against the protests in front of the state secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. Protest marches were staged in all districts by Congress, Youth Congress, BJP and Yuva Morcha workers.

While Jaleel is maintaining a silence over the row, the opposition parties came up with fresh allegations.

Congress alleged that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is protecting Jaleel as he could have also received illegal benefits through Jaleel. Hence the government has lost moral responsibility to continue to be in power, said the Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala.

BJP state president K Surendran alleged that various religious outfits received foreign contributions after the Kerala floods and natural calamities and Jaleel also benefited from it.

The ED was learnt to have quizzed Jaleel in connection with the acceptance of Ramadan relief food kits and Quran from the UAE consulate in Kerala for distribution in the state.

Around 300 packets containing Qurans were received through diplomatic baggage. It came to light during the investigation of customs into the gold smuggling using diplomatic baggage which involved UAE consulate former employees.

Sources said that prima facie Jaleel's act amounted to the violation of the foreign exchange regulations and protocol norms. Hence his statement on the allegations has been taken.

The quizzing that lasted for around two hours mainly pertained to his association with the UAE consulate employees and the circumstances for accepting the food kits and Quran. It was also being ascertained whether similar offers were received from the consulate earlier.

After verifying the statements and facts, ED would take further steps. Jaleel might be quizzed once again for clarification. The External Affairs Ministry is also learnt to have received complaints against the minister. The Kerala Lok Ayukta has also sent a notice to the minister in a petition related to this allegation.

Though Jaleel on Friday told a section of media that he was not summoned by ED, later top officials of ED confirmed that Jaleel's statement has been recorded. He is learnt to have gone to the ED office in a friend's car in order to evade the attention of media and public.

While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has not reacted to the opposition's demand for Jaleel's resignation yet, state Tourism Minister and CPM leaders Kadakampally Surendran maintained that the ED has only collected statements from the minister and it need not be considered as a major issue.

Even former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was quizzed by a judicial commission for hours, he said.

As the protests mounted, Jaleel made a social media post on Friday night, saying that the truth will be the ultimate victor even if the entire world is against it.

On Saturday he also performed the first rice eating ceremony of a CPM worker's child at his house.