Thiruvananthapuram: LDF government has landed in a fresh controversy as bribery allegations were cropped up against the Kerala Public Service Commission. It is alleged that a young CPM leader from Kozhikode collected bribe from a person promising PSC membership. The accused convinced the person to pay lakhs for the membership in the PSC by claiming that minister for Public Works P A Mohammed Riyas is involved in the deal. A day after this fresh controvesy made headlines, minister Riyas and CPM rubbished the allegations terming it baseless.

When reporters sought his reaction over the raging issue, the minister alleged that it was an attempt to tarnish him "personally" and he had knowledge about it only through media reports.

The son-in-law of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Minister Riyas, said his name has been continuously dragged into negative issues these days by vested interests, and everybody knows the real intentions behind such moves.

"Even though it is understood and proved later that there is no truth in such baseless allegations, they are not ready to correct it or explain it. So, I have decided to take legal action against those who drag my name into such absurd matters," he said.

The PWD minister said the LDF government will take stringent action against the wrongdoers, and the CM has already made it clear in the state Assembly.

Meanwhile, CPM state secretary M V Govindan justified Riyas and reiterated that the allegations were baseless.
He said the CPM would choose PSC members based on merit only, and if anyone committed anything wrong, stringent action would be taken against them. He said the party is well aware that Riyas has no role in the bribery charges, so there is no need for a probe against him.

"We all know how the members of the PSC are being decided. If police receive a complaint in this regard, they can investigate," he said in reply to a question raised by reporters.

The Left leader claimed that the CPM was not a party that decides PSC membership by accepting money. Govindan also said the Marxist party won't entertain any such wrongdoings and stringent measures would be taken against such practices.

Congress, BJP demand probe
However, the BJP and Congress district leadership in Kozhikode reacted to the matter and sought a comprehensive probe into the allegations.BJP state president K Surendran said the bribe was accepted by saying the name of Riyas, and so a detailed investigation should be carried out into the issue.

"It is not an ordinary corruption case. It was committed in the name of a responsible person in power. So, a comprehensive probe should be carried out," he told a press conference here.

He also alleged that several corruption and malpractices are happening under the aegis of CPM centring northern Kozhikode district.
(With PTI inputs)