qDr. Rajeev Menon, National General Secretary of the Republican Party, stated that the allegations made by MLA P.V. Anwar place even the Chief Minister, who oversees the Home Department, under a cloud of suspicion. He emphasized that phone tapping is a serious invasion of personal freedom. Anwar has admitted that the phones of police officers and their spouses were tapped. Dr. Rajeev Menon expressed concern that when the Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, who directly handles Kerala’s internal affairs, is under suspicion, it is unlikely that an investigation can proceed fairly. Therefore, a comprehensive investigation by a central agency is necessary.
Dr. Rajeev Menon pointed out that since Pinarayi Vijayan is directly in charge of Kerala’s internal affairs, the allegations made by a ruling party MLA have caused significant embarrassment to both the cabinet and the Chief Minister. He stressed that this is not a matter to be taken lightly because those at the top are implicated. He insisted that a thorough investigation should be conducted by a central agency.
The allegation made by P.V. Anwar that phone conversations of ministers, political leaders, and police officers were tapped is serious. The Republican Party suspects that phone conversations of prominent media personnel in Kerala might also have been tapped. Dr. Rajeev Menon also raised concerns about whether the phone calls of opposition political parties and former leaders were intercepted. He concluded that the admission of phone tapping, including those of police officers, puts honest police officers under pressure and tarnishes the reputation of the police force. Therefore, he reiterated the need for a comprehensive investigation by a central agency.
