Sultan Bathery: The Congress leadership in the district finds itself on the backfoot following the release of a note and a letter related to the suicide of DCC Treasurer N.M. Vijayan and his son Jijesh. The documents, which surfaced on Monday amid allegations and counter-allegations, have intensified scrutiny. The family’s statement that the letter was handed over to the police after receiving no action from the KPCC leadership would further corner the Congress in the coming days.

Even as the CPI(M) and BJP have come out with allegations and protests, the Congress has  attempted to defend itself through explanation meetings only. Despite facing allegations related to bank recruitment scams, the MLA IC Balakrishnan and DCC leadership maintained that they would handle the matter legally. However, beyond repeating the same defense, the Congress has struggled to come up with a strong response. Matters worsened when the suicide note was released by the family, putting the party under even greater pressure.

The note has sparked widespread discussion among Congress workers. Long-standing allegations against the leadership have not been effectively countered. With the release of the suicide note, senior Congress leaders have come under direct attack. Critics argue that the leadership failed to act prudently to resolve the issue and that the family should have been reassured following Vijayan's death, a failure that has drawn severe criticism.

Active groups set to admin-only

The Congress leadership faced backlash after the release of N.M. Vijayan’s suicide note and letters. Reports suggest that many active party groups were set to admin-only mode, likely to prevent discussions and responses from workers. By evening, the party reportedly resumed normal group settings after preparing to respond to the allegations.

Police investigating letters, recording family statements

The special investigation team and vigilance department have already started their investigation in connection with the incident. Letters submitted by N.M. Vijayan’s family are in police custody. Statements from his son and daughter-in-law had already been recorded, and on Monday, statements from other family members were also taken. The investigation team is expected to record the statements of individuals mentioned in the letters and note. Initial indications suggest that statements will first be collected from lower-level leaders.

Key allegations in N.M. Vijayan's letter

  1. As per MLA I.C. Balakrishnan’s demand, ₹7 lakh was collected for bank recruitment. The amount was received through UK Preman, a former member of Nenmeni Panchayat. Out of this, ₹2 lakh was returned, but the remaining amount has not been refunded despite Balakrishnan's assurances.
  2. DCC President N.D. Appachan and senior Congress leader K.K. Gopinathan allegedly collected ₹10 lakh, promising a recruitment at the Bathery Cooperative Urban Bank. For this, N.M. Vijayan mortgaged eight cents of land and issued a cheque. Since Chacko, a person close to N.D. Appachan, moved the court, Vijayan was unable to sell his property.
  3. N.M. Vijayan’s son had secured the first rank for the PTS post in the Bathery Cooperative Urban Bank recruitment notification. However, the appointment was sabotaged, and I.C. Balakrishnan, who was then the DCC President, appointed another candidate based on his preferences. After seven years of service, Vijayan's son was terminated to accommodate Balakrishnan’s nominee.
  4. Disputes over the sharing of the money collected for bank recruitment among three former DCC presidents in Wayanad led to controversies in the bank recruitment process. It is alleged that even for the PTS post, ₹25 lakh was accepted.

The allegations, detailed in the note and letter, have placed the Congress leadership in Wayanad under intense scrutiny and criticism.  Protests from CPM and other parties including BJP  have strengthened in Wayanad in connection with the controversy as Congress could not yet effectively handle the issue.