Allegations against kin prompt calls for NHRC chief's sacking
Trouble from kith-and-kin increased for the NHRC chief today when local television channels reported suspicious land deals in which another of his sons-in-law, MJ Benny, is allegedly involved.
By Joe A Scaria, ET Bureau |
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A murmur in political and social circles in Kerala until recently was about the prospects of the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission and former chief justice of India, KG Balakrishnan becoming the next president of the country, and the second from the state in that post.
A week is a long time in political ambitions, and the maelstrom of allegations inundating the Balakrishnan family over the past week has changed that murmur to a deafening debate – this time about whether or not the former CJI should keep the NHRC’s top job.
When a Malayalam television channel reported last week about Balakrishnan’s son-in-law PV Sreenijan having amassed wealth far beyond what he had declared when he contested as an MLA, it opened the floodgates of allegations against the NHRC chief’s family.
It has since snowballed. Former Supreme Court judge VR Krishna Iyer was the next to train the guns on Balakrishnan, stating that he had erred in having made a statement that “the Balakrishnan era has begun” when KGB was elevated to the top judicial post. Making no attempt to hide his disappointment about the former CJI, Iyer said he regretted that he was in the judicial profession, given the present image of the judiciary.
CPI state secretary CK Chandrappan has also joined the chorus of calls for Balakrishnan’s resignation. “The central government has the machinery to investigate these allegations. Balakrishnan should step down from his post or the government must get him to”, Chandrappan said today.
Trouble from kith-and-kin increased for the NHRC chief today when local television channels reported suspicious land deals in which another of his sons-in-law, MJ Benny, is allegedly involved.
The state government has ordered a vigilance probe into the allegations of amassment of wealth by the NHRC chief’s son-in-law, Sreenijan. Chief minister VS Achuthanandan initiated the probe, based on a private complaint about Sreenijan’s dealings from one Shameer Valavath in Kochi.
The allegations against Sreenijan have also ruffled the Congress camp. Sreenijan had contested, unsuccessfully, on the Congress ticket in 2006 from the Njarackal constituency in Ernakulam district. Youth Congress national secretary in charge of Kerala, Rizwan Arshad said here today that the party viewed the allegations against Sreenijan as
a “serious issue”, and that he would study the matter and ask for explanations from Sreenijan if required.
Convenor of the Congress-led United Democratic Front, PP Thankachan has called for KG Balakrishnan stepping down from his post in NHRC. “It is always good for people holding top posts to step down when faced with such allegations”, Thankachan said.
In December, Balakrishnan was in north Kerala to study first hand the travails of those affected by use of the pesticide endosulfan. The pesticide’s victims would now be left to ponder the travails of their would-be-saviour as well.
A week is a long time in political ambitions, and the maelstrom of allegations inundating the Balakrishnan family over the past week has changed that murmur to a deafening debate – this time about whether or not the former CJI should keep the NHRC’s top job.
When a Malayalam television channel reported last week about Balakrishnan’s son-in-law PV Sreenijan having amassed wealth far beyond what he had declared when he contested as an MLA, it opened the floodgates of allegations against the NHRC chief’s family.
It has since snowballed. Former Supreme Court judge VR Krishna Iyer was the next to train the guns on Balakrishnan, stating that he had erred in having made a statement that “the Balakrishnan era has begun” when KGB was elevated to the top judicial post. Making no attempt to hide his disappointment about the former CJI, Iyer said he regretted that he was in the judicial profession, given the present image of the judiciary.
CPI state secretary CK Chandrappan has also joined the chorus of calls for Balakrishnan’s resignation. “The central government has the machinery to investigate these allegations. Balakrishnan should step down from his post or the government must get him to”, Chandrappan said today.
Trouble from kith-and-kin increased for the NHRC chief today when local television channels reported suspicious land deals in which another of his sons-in-law, MJ Benny, is allegedly involved.
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The state government has ordered a vigilance probe into the allegations of amassment of wealth by the NHRC chief’s son-in-law, Sreenijan. Chief minister VS Achuthanandan initiated the probe, based on a private complaint about Sreenijan’s dealings from one Shameer Valavath in Kochi.
The allegations against Sreenijan have also ruffled the Congress camp. Sreenijan had contested, unsuccessfully, on the Congress ticket in 2006 from the Njarackal constituency in Ernakulam district. Youth Congress national secretary in charge of Kerala, Rizwan Arshad said here today that the party viewed the allegations against Sreenijan as
a “serious issue”, and that he would study the matter and ask for explanations from Sreenijan if required.
Convenor of the Congress-led United Democratic Front, PP Thankachan has called for KG Balakrishnan stepping down from his post in NHRC. “It is always good for people holding top posts to step down when faced with such allegations”, Thankachan said.
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In December, Balakrishnan was in north Kerala to study first hand the travails of those affected by use of the pesticide endosulfan. The pesticide’s victims would now be left to ponder the travails of their would-be-saviour as well.
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