EP JayarajanControversies have followed E.P. Jayarajan like a shadow from the beginning of his political career. With his knee-jerk reactions and loose tongue, he has always provided his political opponents with fodder to score a point.
Jayarajan, a strong backer of the Kannur lobby of the CPM’s state unit, found himself in the midst of a controversy yet again, which eventually cost him his ministerial post in the Pinarayi Vijayan-led cabinet following charges of nepotism.
Kerala industries minister EP Jayarajan resigns
Not so long ago, he stirred up a hornet's nest and put his party on the defensive by endorsing a 'lifestyle' not in sync with communist ethos at a public meeting held in Kannur.
"Don’t expect modern day communists to eat 'parippu vada' and black tea like in olden days. If the leaders stick to such a lifestyle, no cadres will be left in the party," he said to the huge applause of the packed gathering of party workers. The subtle assertion was that the spartan lifestyle embraced by communist stalwarts was redundant in the modern era.
My works as minister disturbed corrupt elements: EP Jayarajan after resignation
Even after the row over the appointments put the LDF government on a sticky wicket, Jayarajan triggered another public outcry when he told mediapersons that there was nothing unnatural in his relatives holding posts in state public sector enterprises.
Finally, the firebrand leader from Kannur was forced to quit after even Pinarayi Vijayan, who had protected Jayarajan whenever he landed in troubles in the past, disowned him in the appointment scam.
Take a look at the controversies that Jayarajan courted over the years:
The Santiago Martin connection
Jayarajan was in the dock for accepting Rs 2 crore from lottery baron Santiago Martin for rejuvenating the party’s mouthpiece Deshabhimani.
His attempts to raise funds from the tainted businessman came when the VS Achuthanandan-led LDF government was initiating stringent measures against lottery mafia.
Jayarajan remained undeterred, arguing that the management needed to raise funds from different sources to run the newspaper business. Though he claimed that the Rs 2 crore given to Deshabhimani was a bond, later he changed his version saying that the amount was paid for booking advertisements in the daily.
In the meantime, Jayarajan was accused of accepting Rs 1 crore bribe from LIS Group, a financial institution based in Ernakulum. Subsequently, Jayarajan was removed as Deshabhimani general manager and, in the face of political pressure, the party had to return the money.
Later, Jayarajan was reinstated as the general manager of the party organ and continued to hold the position until he was made a minister in the current LDF cabinet.
Denial mode, delaying tactics bode ill for CPM
Pinarayi, who stood behind Jayarajan in the bond row, however, ditched his confidant this time around.
Advertisement row
The CPM found itself in a tight corner after the advertisement of controversial businessman V. M. Radhakrishnan was carried by the party mouthpiece Deshabhimani on the concluding day of CPM state conference held in Palakkad.
The leadership came under scathing criticism even from a section of leaders who opined that the incident would dent the spirit of the plenum, held which was organized to evolve ways to cleanse the party. Once again Jayarajan responded nonchalantly, saying that the daily could accept advertisements from any person or institution.
His involvement in the sale of land and building belonging to Deshabhimani in Thiruvananthapuram to Radhakrishnan through an allegedly fraudulent benami deal also drew flak. Pinarayi had then backed his confidant.
Mangrove park
The decision to set up a mangrove theme park at Pappinisseri triggered a row after local environmentalists and Congress leaders opposed the move spearheaded by Jayarajan citing that it would wreak havoc on the mangrove vegetation in the area. The work on the park was abandoned later following a court order. The land identified for the park is now overgrown with shrubs and thorny bushes. The CPM leadership stood firmly behind Jayarajan.
Fiery speeches
After the controversial speech calling on party cadres to part ways with simple lifestyle, Jayarajan’s loose tongue once again landed him in the soup. When the SNC-Lavalin corruption case was creating ripples in the political circles, the outspoken leader invited the ire of the investigating agency for his rant against CBI.
Land Rover row
Jayarajan also drew flak when he turned up in a 'Land Rover' owned by a Kottayam-based contractor to attend a meeting of the farm laborers’ organization affiliated to the CPM.
Muhammad Ali goof-up
The social media had a field day over the faux pas made by Jayarajan in his condolence message after the death of boxing legend Muhammad Ali. "Ali was an eminent sports personality of Kerala and is one who has won a gold medal thereby raising Kerala’s position in the world," he said.
The comment was extensively trolled by netizens. Later he took to the Facebook to explain his slip of the tongue, saying that he did not know that it was American national Muhammad Ali who had died. He alleged that the media twisted his comment and ran a false campaign.
Outburst on Anju
Jayarajan hit the headlines again for his unwarranted outburst on Olympian Anju Bobby George, the former president of the Kerala State Sports Council. Anju complained to Pinarayi Vijayan that she was humiliated by the sports minister when she called on him at the Secretariat. He allegedly shouted at her saying that the entire council was corrupt and threatened her with dire consequences, she said in her complaint. However, the chief minister consoled her saying that the government had no such perceptions. Later Jayarajan clarified that he did not intend to humiliate Anju.
