Kottarakkara: Minister KB Ganesh Kumar said he expected controversies and allegations to surface as elections approach. He made the remark while responding to media questions about the accusations raised against him. When asked about love, he said he had experienced many relationships in his life. The minister added that when he first contested elections, after being known mainly through films, several allegations were also raised against him.

When journalists pointed out that IPS officer Sreelekha and others had intervened in the controversy involving his wife, the minister responded by asking, “Who is this Sreelekha?” He said such people are acting out of jealousy. According to him, Sreelekha is someone who stayed at home upset because Rajesh was made Mayor instead of her. He said he does not know why she made such remarks and added that she belongs to the BJP while he represents the LDF.

When asked about his wife calling 112 to lodge a complaint, the minister replied that anyone might make such a complaint if they become paranoid. He dismissed the allegations, saying that whether there is truth or not, no one should interfere in his personal matters. He said people should judge whether he is a good public servant, a good MLA, someone who stands with the poor, and whether he has engaged in corruption or communalism. “None of those apply to me,” he said. The minister added that his life is an open book and that if asked later, he would explain his past relationships in detail.

Ganesh Kumar said the current controversies would only increase his majority in the upcoming elections. People would think that such allegations arise against him whenever elections approach, and he believes he will win again with a huge margin.

The minister said he initially believed that personal family matters should not be discussed with the media, but he has nothing to hide. “Love is not a crime. Some people hide it, others make it public,” he said. “Even Mahatma Gandhi is not spared from criticism; how would they spare me?” he added. He also remarked that Jawaharlal Nehru was someone who had many relationships. Writers such as Madhavikutty, Punathil Kunjabdulla, and MT Vasudevan Nair have written extensively about love, he said. The minister questioned what connection personal matters have with politics. If someone drinks alcohol, he said, that too is a personal matter. Allegations would be faced politically, he added.

Ganesh Kumar said that if someone calls a press conference and raises allegations, some people will believe them and others will not. “People of Pathanapuram have known me for 25 years, so I will win again,” he said. Spreading slander about others is like a disease, he added.

Responding to another question, he said all this is driven by jealousy. “Everyone should fall in love; then no one will feel jealous,” he said. He narrated an anecdote: when someone bought a Benz car, he told his father about it, and his father replied, “Let everyone buy one; then people won’t be jealous when we buy one.” Similarly, if everyone experiences love, jealousy will disappear, he said.

When asked about a Facebook post by Rahul Mamkoottathil, the minister sarcastically said he had not stooped to that level. He added that it was journalists who described Rahul’s “downfall,” not him, and mocked Rahul by saying he has proven his “worthiness” every day. “No one has ever said I have done the kind of things he did,” the minister added.

When asked whether he feels there is an enemy within his own household, Ganesh Kumar replied, “Hasn’t it always been like that?” He said there had been enemies inside the house even earlier. Allegations against him often surface at crucial moments, he added. When he was about to become a minister, some people tried to mislead the Chief Minister by claiming there were many cases against him. “There is not even a petty case against me; there was only a civil case,” he said.

“I do not distrust anyone. I deal with everyone freely. There is a certain innocence in me — I treat everyone with affection. That innocence will help me,” Ganesh Kumar said.