K T Jaleel, the controversial Minister for Higher Education in Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet, resigned on Tuesday. The resignation came after the findings by the Lok Ayukt that Jaleel has committed impropriety and was guilty of “nepotism, abuse of power and violation of oath office” in appointing KT Adeeb, his close relation as the general manager of Kerala State Minorities Development Finance Corporation in 2016.

The last three days saw the CPI(M) and its intellectual giants like Minister AK Balan and politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan ruling out Jaleel’s resignation. But things took a turn for the worse on Monday following revelations that it was Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who had signed the papers authorising the appointment of Adeeb, who did not have the minimum qualifications for the post.

The file dealing with the appointment of Adeeb in the senior post of the Government-owned body was not discussed in the Cabinet. It was also revealed that Vijayan had signed the file against the advice by the officials of the general administration department of the State.

The GAD had warned the Chief Minister that Adeeb was not qualified for the post.

The senior officials in the GAD and the minorities development finance commission reportedly objected to the appointment of Adeeb, who was the former chief of the outlawed SIMI. Jaleel reportedly threatened the officials not to speak about it.

Jaleel had approached the Kerala High Court with a plea to get the Lok Ayukta findings quashed. The moment the CPI(M) think tank saw the writing on the wall that their captain , Chief Minister Vijayan, was in for trouble, they dumped Jaleel who was left with no other option other than resigning.

A host of CPI (M) leaders and their poor cousins in the CPI had built a shield around Jaleel to save him from the Opposition onslaught. But by Tuesday morning Jaleel understood that time was up for him and hence the move to quit.

Jaleel is the fourth Minister to quit the Pinarayi Vijayan Government on account of impropriety and violation of oath. E P Jayarajan, Minister for Industries (who was the number two in the Government) had resigned even before completing one year in office following the Vigilance Commission’s finding that he had appointed a relation against norms. It is another thing that he returned to the council of Ministers later. A K Saseendran, Transport Minister, had to quit following disclosures of his sleazy telephonic conversations with a woman of doubtable integrity.

Thomas Chandy, the NCP representative, was the next to leave the Government when it was proved that he had encroached into the vast stretch of land owned by the Government of Kerala to build a resort.   

Jaleel was in the news since June 2021 following the seizure of gold smuggled through the diplomatic channel of Thiruvananthapuram airport. The Minister had been questioned by the officials of the Customs department and the Enforcement Directorate twice in the recent past for alleged violation of the code of ethics in accepting gratitude from foreign countries without informing the Centre. He was questioned in connection with the import of “dates and Quran” for distribution among the people of the State.

“I am submitting my resignation to the Chief Minister so that the media in Kerala could get satisfaction and happiness. For the last one year, I was being hunted by the media despite my innocence and clean image. My resignation is because of my commitment to morality and transparency in public life,” Jaleel wrote in his social media page late on Tuesday.