Kerala Minister's Luxury Car Sparks Row! 🚘 Shaji Defends Range Rover Use
Kerala Minister's Luxury Car Sparks Row! 🚘 Shaji Defends Range Rover Use
Kerala Minister K.M. Shaji faces heat for using a friend's Range Rover as his official car. Get the full scoop on the political controversy, his defiant stance, and the public outcry. #KeralaPolitics
K.M. Shaji, Keralam's Local Bodies Minister and a prominent Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader, finds himself embroiled in a significant political controversy. The minister has been under fire for using a luxury Range Rover, reportedly borrowed from a Saudi Arabia-based businessperson friend, as his official vehicle.
This action has sparked accusations of corruption, conflict of interest, and a potential breach of his Constitutional oath of office.
The core of the issue lies in Mr.
Shaji affixing the Keralam State Government registration plate, "Keralam State 13", typically reserved for cabinet ministers' official cars, onto the privately owned vehicle. Photographs of the minister posing with the car, which prominently displayed the national flag from a bonnet-mounted staff, quickly went viral.
This garnered both praise from his supporters and sharp criticism from opposition leaders, particularly from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], including former Minister K.T.
Jaleel and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) State president Chintha Jerome.
Initially, Mr. Shaji attempted to justify his use of the "borrowed" car by stating that his assigned official van had accumulated over 4 lakh kilometers and its roadworthiness was questionable. However, the escalating public and political pressure eventually led him to return the vehicle to his friend, Yakoob Thillenkeri, a Kannur resident with business operations in Riyadh.
This move came at a time when Keralam was grappling with rolling night-time power cuts and significant state financial challenges, arguably placing the minister and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in an unfavorable light.
Despite returning the car, Mr. Shaji adopted a combative stance on social media. In a recent Facebook post, he openly dared CPI(M) cadres to follow through on their "threat" to block his passage if he continued to use private vehicles of friends or well-wishers for official duties.
He further challenged the media to investigate any alleged favors granted to his friends or acquaintances, while chiding journalists for focusing on what he termed "mirages" instead of critical "bread-and-butter issues" affecting Keralam's populace.
He also hinted at a significant revelation to be made public soon.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jaleel, in a Facebook post titled "Shaji and Range Rover car," lambasted the minister, citing a "serious violation" of his oath of office. He alleged that Mr.
Shaji accepted a "freebie," thereby contravening his pledge to act without fear or favor. Mr. Jaleel also accused the minister of demeaning state symbols by using them on a "loaned private vehicle" and invoked the Holy Quran to caution Mr. Shaji against hypocrisy.
Concurrently, Ms. Jerome demanded a public clarification from Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan regarding whether Mr.
Shaji's acceptance of the private vehicle for official use constituted an unethical quid pro quo.
The controversy continues to unfold, keeping the spotlight firmly on Keralam's political landscape.
