Kerala minister hits out at Achuthanandan, Pillai

Thiruvananthapuram, June 21  Kerala's Civil Supplies Minister Anoop Jacob on Sunday attacked CPI-M leader V.S. Achuthanandan, former minister R. Balakrishna Pillai and his son for airing "baseless allegations" against him despite there being no probe against him.

"It's Achuthanandan's son who is facing a probe and Pillai was in jail, while his son (legislator and former minister) K.B. Ganesh Kumar could not even run his house properly and then he blames me and this government. I am not facing any probe, but I am picturised as a corrupt person by these people," said Jacob in a Facebook post. 

His reference to Ganesh Kumar was to the leader's divorce and wife's complaint of domestic violence which forced his resignation as minister.

Speaking to IANS, Jacob, 37, stood by his post on the social media site, and said his outburst came after all these leaders called him corrupt and one who is facing several probes when he was campaigning for the Aruvikara by-election. 

In his post, he alleged that Pillai and his younger daughter came to see him regarding a posting and when he said he would not interfere, "the father and son duo turned against me". 

"Till date there has been not even an FIR registered against me, but these people are airing baseless allegations against me," wrote Jacob, who is the son of late minister T.M. Jacob who died in harness in October 2011. 

Anoop Jacob contested his father's traditional Piravom assembly seat, won from there and was inducted as minister, taking over the portfolio held by his father.