Fake certificate issue: CPI(M), Congress in Kerala engage in war of words

The ruling CPIM in Kerala and the opposition Congress are engaged in a war of words over the fake certificate issue in the state with the latter on Thursday accusing the Left Front of protecting those involved in illegal activities news agency PTI reportedAccording to PTI the CPIM on the other hand refuted the allegations against it on the issue and also came to the aid of its student wing SFI whose two former members are facing charges of using fake certificatesWhile expelled SFI leader Nikhil Thomas is accused of submitting a fake certificate for admission to the MCom course in a college in Kayamkulam area of Alappuzha district of the state former SFI member Vidya K Maniyodi is facing charges of furnishing a fake teaching experience certificate to secure a guest faculty post in a government collegeVidya who was absconding for nearly two weeks was arrested on Wednesday night from a village in Kozhikode district and Thomas was expelled from SFIs primary membership on TuesdayDissatisfied by the delay in police action against the accused Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday alleged that the ruling Left government in Kerala and the police were protecting the accused and giving them time to destroy evidence That is why it took 15 days to arrest Vidya She had 15 days to destroy evidence against her If the police wanted to it could have caught her within hoursNow Thomas is also in hiding He will be caught after giving him sufficient time to destroy evidence he alleged while speaking to reporters at KasaragodChennithala further contended that use of fake certificates trying to pass exams without studying going into hiding to destroy evidence all these incidents are leading the higher education in Kerala to anarchyDenying the Congress allegations senior CPIM leader and former state minister A K Balan contended that the opposition was more concerned over such minor issues instead of criticising the Prime Minister for going abroad and doing yoga there when a state in the country is burningBalan was referring to the violence in the state of Manipur He also defended the Students Federation of India SFI saying it cannot be blamed for what Vidya and Thomas did He said that SFI expelled Thomas on getting to know what he had done and there was nothing more it could have doneBalan speaking to reporters at Thiruvananthapuram also said that SFI has a strong presence of around 72 per cent among the students irrespective of their religion or political background and that is why it was being attacked He said just like the making of fake currency there are people behind the fake certificates too and the police and the state government will root them out and take appropriate action against themSince the police are looking into the matter let them ascertain why Vidya did what she did he said adding that her arrest indicates the governments stand on the issue Balan also came to the defence of his party secretary M V Govindan who is facing flak from the Congress for his recent remarks against KPCC chief and MP K Sudhakaran in connection with a POCSO case in which controversial selfstyled antiques dealer Monson Mavunkal was sentenced to life term in jail Balan said that Govindan only commented about a news report and he was well within his rights to do soHowever the remarks against him subsequently were undignified he said He also said that while Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee KPCC president Sudhakaran was a friend he cannot save the Congress in this lifetimeHe said there was an agenda to isolate the Kerala CM the CPIM state secretary remove the Left government from power and destroy the SFI which was responsible for strengthening the CPIM party base Balan further said that SFI was responsible for the downfall of the Kerala Students Union KSU and relegating it to a corner and hence the attacks on the left wing students organisationThe KSU the student organisation of the Congress has been claiming that Thomas failed in the B Com degree course at MSM college but during M Com admission he provided a certificate from Kalinga University in Chhattisgarh Vidya was booked by the police under sections 465 forgery 471 using forged documents as genuine and 468 forgery for the purpose of cheating of the Indian Penal Code on the complaint of government colleges in Ernakulam and PalakkadAccording to the complaints the woman claimed in the fake certificate that she was a guest lecturer at Maharajas College in 201819PTI