Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan (file) | Photo Credit: ANI Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Wednesday (September 11, 2024) waded into the whirlwind political controversy unleashed by Left Democratic Front (LDF) Independent legislator P.V. Anvar by sensationally accusing Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Law and Order, M.R. Ajith Kumar of illegally ordering a wiretap on leading politicians and government figures, allegedly including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Cabinet members. According to Raj Bhavan officials, Mr. Khan has sent a letter to the government underlining the gravity of the MLA’s accusations, given their implications for national security, administrative transparency, human rights and privacy. Mr. Khan has demanded a government report on the politically stormy phone-tapping scandal and recommended that the police take cognisance of the legislator’s imputation, which, according to Raj Bhavan, prima facie revealed serious offences and instances of alleged law-breaking. The officials said Mr. Khan had also pointed out in the communique that the MLA’s averments cast doubt on the public’s perception of how the government and law enforcement conducted their official business and the administration needed to clear the air. Moreover, Mr. Khan also reportedly expressed concern about whether unauthorised persons, as claimed by Mr. Anvar, had access to police wiretaps or could carry out such illegal missions in a private capacity, possibly using the latest hacking software. Anvar steps up attackAt a press conference in Malappuram, Mr. Anvar stepped up his attack against Mr. Kumar and Mr. Vijayan’s political secretary P. Sasi. He accused the ADGP and Mr. Sasi of “betraying” Mr. Vijayan’s trust. He alleged that they had kept the Chief Minister in the dark about the ranking officer’s purported meeting with apex-level RSS apparatchiks in Thrissur and Kovalam in Thiruvananthapuram in 2024.Mr. Anvar also repeated his accusation that law enforcement, under the duo’s watch, worked overtime to stoke public resentment against the government, possibly to aid Opposition parties and stymie the LDF’s credible chance of returning to power for a third consecutive term in 2026. Mr. Anvar also accused Mr. Kumar and Mr. Sasi of derailing the police investigation into the deadly arson attack on the residence and ashram of Sandeepananda Giri in 2018. Mr. Giri, a spiritual teacher and television personality, has been a steadfast critic of the Sangh Parivar, including the RSS’ fiery and politically violent opposition to the entry of women in Sabarimala during the ‘Save Sabarimala’ agitation.Mr. Anvar accused Mr. Kumar and Mr. Sasi of attempting to save RSS activists from prosecution. He alleged that the pair had tried to foist the arson case of a CPI(M) councillor in Thiruvananthapuram.Mr. Anvar’s sensational press conference occurred hours before a crucial LDF meeting at AKG Centre in Thiruvananthapuram, wherein the CPI and other LDF allies, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), were likely to flag Mr. Kumar’s continuation in office as an impediment to an independent probe into Mr. Anvar’s accusations against the top officer. Published – September 11, 2024 03:41 pm IST