The power groups in politics
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Kerala MLA PV Anavr, and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan (file photo)
The war of words and consequent political duel that the Left independent MLA PV Anvar triggered about a stolen mahagony from the camp house of Malappuram District SP has now snowballed into a campaign against the ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) leadership and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. For the last few days, Anvar has been raising a series of allegations against the abuse of power by ADGP in charge of law and order MR Ajithkumar and against P Sasi, the political secretary of the chief minister who allegedly facilitates all those misdeeds. A complaint was also raised to the party and the Chief Minister in this regard. Although some steps were taken on it, Anvar was soon seen pointing his gun at the Chief Minister himself the other day with the revelation that actions including the investigation were a complete farce. Anvar who did not raise any finger of criticism against the Chief Minister at any time earlier, finally said openly, 'That man cheated me'.
Explaining how he was cheated, he also announced his decision to end his ties with the party and the Left Front and to work as a complete independent member inside and outside the assembly. Now, Chief Minister and Party Secretary M. Govinder Master have also disowned him. The secretary has also called on the party rank and file to reject Anvar. In response to this, party posters against Anvar started appearing in many places and in some cases anti-Anwar demonstrations were also held with belligerent slogans. Those who stood with Anvar till the other day in the new social media, also came out with criticism and ridicule. In the coming days, its ripples are likely to increase in the atmosphere.
The CPM and the Chief Minister have accused Anvar of violating the party and front etiquette and upholding the criticism of the right-wing forces against the government. However, there are those within the party who have supported him on issues raised outside of the formal chorus, even while disagreeing with many of the political positions he has taken in the past. Anvar raised various allegations with the support of evidence about the state police, which were heard over the last few years. Among them were the role of the police in the gold smuggling going on through the Karipur International Airport, the Sangh Parivar leanings of some top brass of the police, the nexus of the police with criminal gangs. His revelations brought before the people such allegations supported by facts, demonstrating that they were not mere allegations. Anvar's take is that he had to become a one-man soldier when these facts which were unearthed through his own investigation were first presented before the Chief Minister and the party but neither paid any serious attention to it and the opposition pretended not to listen to the most serious accusations that came in handy against the government and the party.
Some of the things that Anvar has been raising for the past two days as a substantiation of his case should be taken seriously by Kerala's public. He said that the biggest crisis Kerala is facing today is the unholy alliance among top political leaders cutting across party lines. When he shared the observation that the UDF and the BJP were not ready to take up this issue because such alliance was prevalent even in the current events, none of them gave a precise reply to his contention either. Thus, the revelations by the legislator impinge on not only the high-handed relationships of the state police force, but also about the 'power groups' in Kerala politics. It is a fact that political relationships that often occur outside of personal and purely narrow interests, lead to mafia-like alliances at least at some point. How many crimes get hushed up through these so-called 'deals'? Anvar says that it is such 'deals' that work behind the impunity enjoyed by the accused in the recent political murders in Kannur. Suspicions have arisen about the involvement of the same power groups in the now controversial Thrissur Pooram incident and the ADGP's meeting with RSS leaders. It is another suspicion why the opposition is not able to turn these into a major protest even after a serious disclosure by a ruling party MLA to the state home department. The eloquent silence of the opposition more or less vindicates Anvar's allegation that these leaders are also parties to the deals.
Thus, although some turbulence of allegations and counter-allegations may arise in such cases, everything inside will remain calm. Things are settled behind the curtain from the outset. That is why no one is punished even in a single reported case, including the money laundering case in which political leaders are accused. If anyone tries to expose it, those under suspicion will try to sideline such critics giving them the label of communalism or similar branding. Anvar, hitherto a Left MLA, is also likely to be soon conferred the label of minority communalism. Although CPM, which voted Anvar to the house, has disowned him the party and the government will have a tough time removing the smoke-screen around the issues raised by him. There is no doubt that the challenge raised by the ruling party MLA against the ruling elite's own corruption, nepotism and the racism hidden behind them, will be marked in the political history of the state.