Thiruvananthapuram, June 5 (IANS) Kerala Minister Sunny Joseph on Friday defended the appointment of his brother-in-law, Benny Thomas, to his personal staff, saying there were no legal barriers to the appointment and that Benny is a committed public worker with a long political background.

Responding to the controversy, the Minister said Benny Thomas is a leader who was elected as panchayat president with a record majority and described him as a person engaged in exemplary public service.

He also said that Benny had earlier worked as his chief agent during the Assembly polls.

The appointment of the Minister’s sister’s husband to his personal staff had triggered criticism, with Left circles alleging that it was a case of nepotism.

However, the Minister maintained that Benny has a long-standing political record, having served in Youth Congress and then in Congress Ullickal Mandalam President, DCC General Secretary, and Ullickal Grama Panchayat President.

“Benny Thomas could have been placed in another minister’s staff if that was the intention. I am not ready for such hypocrisy,” Sunny Joseph said.

He added that Benny had always openly introduced himself as his relative.

The order appointing 13 members to the Minister’s personal staff also included Youth Congress leader Sudeep James, who had worked with Sunny Joseph when he was KPCC president.

Meanwhile, Health Minister K. Muraleedharan came out in support of the appointment, saying that it was well known that Benny Thomas was a frontline Congress worker.

He questioned the criticism against the appointment, pointing out that political leaders have, in the past, appointed close relatives in similar circumstances.

“Did anyone raise questions when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appointed his son-in-law as a minister? These things have happened before,” Muraleedharan said.

There have been earlier instances where ministers appointed relatives in the records of another minister’s office, while they actually worked with the minister to whom they were related.

There was also a previous instance involving a CPI(M) minister appointing his son’s wife in their office.

–IANS

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