By IANS,
New Delhi : Leaving behind a caste certificate row which almost cost him his parliamentary seat, Kerala MP Kodikunil Suresh joined the union ministry as minister of state for labour and employment Sunday.
A Lok Sabha member from Mavelikkara, Suresh was involved in a controversy over an alleged fake caste certificate, and was disqualified as MP by the Kerala High Court. The decision was, however, later reversed by the Supreme Court.
Mavelikkara is a constituency reserved for the Scheduled Castes. Suresh won the seat after submitting a caste certificate which showed him to be a Cheramar Hindu, a Dalit community.
He was accused of producing a fake caste certificate by Communist Party of India’s A.S. Anil Kumar, whom he had defeated.
The CPI leader, in an election petition, claimed Suresh was a Cheramar Christian, and was not entitled to the benefit of being a Scheduled Caste member.
His seat was, however, saved as the apex court reversed the Kerala High Court order.
A five-time Lok Sabha member, he is also secretary in the All India Congress Committee.