Political fight erupts between CPI(M), Congress in Kerala over fake certificate issue
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): A political fight has erupted between the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and the opposition Congress regarding the fake certificate issue in the state with the grand old party on Thursday accusing the Left Front of protecting those involved in illegal activities.
The CPI(M) on the other hand refuted the allegations against it on the issue and also came to the aid of its student wing SFI, whose two former members are facing charges of using fake certificates.
While expelled SFI leader Nikhil Thomas is accused of submitting a fake certificate for admission to the M.Com course in a college in Kayamkulam area of Alappuzha district of the state, former SFI member Vidya K Maniyodi is facing charges of furnishing a fake teaching experience certificate to secure a guest faculty post in a government college.
Vidya, who was absconding for nearly two weeks, was arrested on Wednesday night from a village in Kozhikode district and Thomas was expelled from SFI's primary membership on Tuesday.
Dissatisfied by the delay in police action against the accused, Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday alleged that the ruling Left government in Kerala and the police were protecting the accused and giving them time to destroy evidence.
"That is why it took 15 days to arrest Vidya. She had 15 days to destroy evidence against her. If the police wanted to, it could have caught her within hours.
"Now Thomas is also in hiding. He will be caught after giving him sufficient time to destroy evidence," he alleged while speaking to reporters at Kasaragod.
Chennithala further contended that use of fake certificates, trying to pass exams without studying, going into hiding to destroy evidence, all these incidents are "leading the higher education in Kerala to anarchy".
Denying the Congress' allegations, senior CPI(M) leader and former state minister A K Balan contended that the opposition was more concerned over such minor issues instead of criticising the Prime Minister for going abroad and doing yoga there "when a state in the country is burning".
Balan was referring to the violence in the state of Manipur.
He also defended the Students Federation of India (SFI), saying it cannot be blamed for what Vidya and Thomas did.
He said that SFI expelled Thomas on getting to know what he had done and there was nothing more it could have done.
Balan, speaking to reporters at Thiruvananthapuram, also said that SFI has a strong presence -- of around 72 per cent -- among the students irrespective of their religion or political background and that is why it was being attacked.
He said just like the making of fake currency, there are people behind the fake certificates too and the police and the state government will root them out and take appropriate action against them.
"Since the police are looking into the matter, let them ascertain why Vidya did what she did," he said, adding that her arrest indicates the government's stand on the issue.
Balan also came to the defence of his party secretary M V Govindan who is facing flak from the Congress for his recent remarks against KPCC chief and MP K Sudhakaran in connection with a POCSO case in which controversial self-styled antiques dealer Monson Mavunkal was sentenced to life term in jail.
Balan said that Govindan only commented about a news report and he was well within his rights to do so.
"However, the remarks against him subsequently were undignified," he said.
He also said that while Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Sudhakaran was a friend, he cannot save the Congress in this lifetime.
He said there was an agenda to isolate the Kerala CM, the CPI(M) state secretary, remove the Left government from power and destroy the SFI which was responsible for strengthening the CPI(M) party base.
Balan further said that SFI was responsible for the downfall of the Kerala Students' Union (KSU) and relegating it to a corner and hence, the attacks on the left wing students' organisation.
The KSU, the student organisation of the Congress, has been claiming that Thomas failed in the B Com degree course at MSM college but during M Com admission, he provided a certificate from Kalinga University in Chhattisgarh.
Vidya was booked by the police under sections 465 (forgery), 471 (using forged documents as genuine), and 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating) of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint of government colleges in Ernakulam and Palakkad.
According to the complaints, the woman claimed in the "fake certificate" that she was a guest lecturer at Maharajas College in 2018-19.
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NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul passes away in London
London (PTI): Leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul passed away in London on Thursday evening, family sources said. He was 94.
Lord Paul, founder of UK-based Caparo Group of industries, had been taken ill and hospitalised recently, where he passed away surrounded by members of his family.
The House of Lords peer was born in Jalandhar and relocated to the UK in the 1960s in pursuit of treatment for his little daughter Ambika’s cancer.
After she passed away aged four years old, he set up the Ambika Paul Foundation as a charitable trust that went on to donate millions to promote the wellbeing of children and young people all over the world through education and health initiatives.
“The London Zoo is where she was always the happiest,” recalled Lord Paul last month, during the annual commemoration he hosted at the Ambika Paul Children’s Zoo in London – one of the major beneficiaries of the foundation.
After he lost his son Angad Paul in 2015 and his wife Aruna in 2022, he went on to undertake similar philanthropic endeavours in their memory.
“This hall is a tribute to my wonderful wife whom I miss very much; we never had an argument during our 65 years of marriage,” said Lord Paul, when he inaugurated the Lady Aruna Swraj Paul Hall at the historic Indian Gymkhana Club in London in February 2023.
A regular in the annual ‘Sunday Times Rich List’, this year he was ranked 81st with an estimated wealth of GBP 2 billion, largely derived from the steel and engineering multinational Caparo Group.
Headquartered in London, Caparo operates internationally from over 40 sites, with operations based in the UK, North America, India, and the Middle East. His son, Akash Paul, is Chairman of Caparo India and Director of the Caparo Group.
Last year, in his capacity as the Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton, Lord Paul awarded an honorary doctorate to Akash Paul for services to business administration.
“Perhaps, I am the only graduate to get a degree from his own father, independently approved by the University Board, of course, I may add,” said Akash Paul, who was accompanied by wife Nisha and son Arush at the ceremony held at the London Zoo.
“My son has worked alongside me at Caparo since 1982. Akash was appointed CEO of Caparo Group in 1992. During this time, he furthered Caparo’s growth strategy in UK, Europe, USA and India, as well as expanding capacity and increasing profitability of the companies in the United Kingdom and was president, Caparo Automotive Espana, Spain and Executive Board, Bull Moose Tube, USA,” said Lord Paul, who had served as Chancellor of Wolverhampton University for over 26 years.
An active member of the Indian diaspora in the UK, Swraj Paul maintained his daily routine of attending the House of Lords despite his frailty in recent months.
"We pray for the departed soul. May the noble Lord rest in peace," said Lord Rami Ranger, his colleague in the Upper House of Parliament.
