Probe casteism charges against celebrity chef: rights body to police

THE KERALA Human Rights Commission Friday directed the police to probe allegations of caste-based discrimination and harassment of students against Kerala Law Academy principal and celebrity chef Lakshmi Nair.

Nair is the anchor of a cookery show on the ruling CPM controlled-kairali TV. Adding to her woes, a sub-committee of Kerala University’s Syndicate has found grave irregularities on her part in granting internal marks and attendance.

Students of the private institution have been agitating against Naik for the past two weeks. They have alleged that Nair forced Dalit students to work at her hotel and scolded upper-caste Hindu students for mingling with students from backward communities.

Theissuehasembarrassedthe ruling CPM as Nair is the niece of senior party leader Koliyakkodu Krishnannair,acloseconfidantof CM Pinarayi Vijayan.

CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said the party need not intervene in the campus agitation. However, CPM veteran V S Achuthanandan has blamed the party for its “failure” to join the student cause.

Nair has said she was ready to rectify “mistakes”, but ruled out quitting the post. “The government has no right to demand my resignation. Let my father Narayanan Nair, director of the academy, demand it. Then I would quit,’’ she said.