‘Resigned to avoid controversy’: Sunny Joseph defends Benny Thomas appointment, says no legal issues

Kerala Electricity and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sunny Joseph has defended the appointment of his brother-in-law Benny Thomas as Additional Private Secretary, stating that there were “no legal issues” with the appointment and that Mr. Thomas resigned “solely to avoid further controversy.”

Speaking to reporters in Kannur on Monday, the Minister said Mr. Thomas himself took the initiative to step down after the appointment became a subject of political debate. “The resignation was intended to prevent the controversy from continuing and affecting his work,” he said.

Mr. Joseph said several people had urged Mr. Thomas to continue in the post and that he too shared that view.

Referring to criticism raised during a recent KPCC meeting, he said there had been a brief remark on the issue, but the person concerned later clarified the statement.

The Minister maintained that Mr. Thomas was chosen because of his “ability, loyalty, credibility, and close connection with the public.”

He said he required such a person to assist him in handling important portfolios, including Electricity and Environment. “He was appointed because he was capable of helping me effectively. Unfortunately, it became a controversy,“ he said.

However, Mr. Joseph declined to answer questions on whether Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan had asked Mr. Thomas to resign.

The resignation came on Sunday amid mounting criticism over the appointment. In his resignation letter to the Chief Minister, Mr. Thomas reportedly stated that he was stepping down because the appointment had become controversial and had exposed the party to criticism.

He later said he did not want his presence in the Minister’s personal staff to “cast a shadow over Mr. Joseph’s public life.”

The appointment had drawn criticism from Opposition parties and other public figures. The issue was also raised at a recent KPCC meeting, where senior Congress leader M.M. Hassan reportedly said great caution should have been exercised while appointing relatives to the personal staff positions.

Allegations of nepotism

The controversy has fuelled allegations of nepotism against the Congress-led government, with Opposition parties citing the appointment as an example of “favouritism in public office.”

CPI(M) charges

Senior CPI(M) leader M.V. Jayarajan alleged that it was “not first such appointment” and claimed that several of the Minister’s relatives had received appointments in cooperative institutions and other organisations over the years through political influence.

Naming the persons, Mr. Jayarajan alleged that nearly 10 close relatives of Mr. Joseph had secured positions in various institutions during the past three decades. He claimed that the appointments were not based on merit but were “politically facilitated.”