By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala’s chief whip P.C. George and Forest Minister K.B. Ganesh Kumar seemed to have reached a temporary truce Thursday after the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) met here over the sleaze charges against the latter.
Controversy erupted in Kerala after a vernacular newspaper Sunday reported that a minister was beaten up by his lover’s husband, without revealing who that minister was. But George told reporters that the minister in question was indeed Kumar and demanded his resignation.
The UDF meeting took place at the official residence of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Both George and Kumar were present in the meeting.
“The media report on Ganesh and charges raised by George were not discussed in detail as it was not a political but a personal issue. But we have asked Chandy to look into the allegations and report it to the UDF in its next meeting,” UDF convenor P.P. Thankachen said after the meeting.
On the outcome of the UDF meeting, George said he would wait for Chandy’s response on the issue, but added that he stands by what he has said.
Thankachen said the letter that Kumar’s father R. Balakrishna Pillai wrote last month asking withdrawal of the minister from the cabinet will now be discussed with him by Chandy and state congress president Ramesh Chennithala.
Kumar’s wife Yamini Thankachy also met Chandy to complain about the ill-treatment meted out to her by her minister husband. However, the chief minister is yet to act on it.
“Yes, she met Chandy. But the chief minister informed the meeting that she did not submit a written complaint,” Thankachen said.