Deccan Chronicle

Sleaze mantri quits in Kerala

- DC CORRESPOND­ENT KOZHIKODE, MARCH 26

Transport minister A.K. Saseendran resigned from the Pinarayi Vijayan ministry on Sunday hours after a Malayalam channel aired an audio clip allegedly involving his lewd talk with a woman.

A nominee of the Nationalis­t Congress Party, the minister announced his decision to step down at a press conference, but denied the charge that he talked inappropri­ately with any woman over phone and claimed he resigned on moral grounds.

The channel aired the audio in which a man is heard speaking, but the voice at the other end was not audible.

When the media insisted on knowing why he was relinquish­ing his post when he was dismissing the charge and there was no complaint, Mr Saseendran said that he didn’t want to become a burden on the government and his party.

Kerala transport minister, A.K. Saseendran, resigned on Sunday from the Pinarayi Vijayan ministry hours after a Malayalam TV channel aired an audio clip which allegedly contains a lewd phone conversati­on between the minister and a woman.

The news outlet claimed the voice was Saseendran’s and that he was harassing the woman who had called seeking help.

A nominee of the Nationalis­t Congress Party, the minister announced his decision to step down at a press conference here but denied the charge that he had had inappropri­ate conversati­on with the woman. He said he was resigning on moral grounds.

“I have not heard the audio clip, but I have not talked in an immoral manner with any woman,” the minister said, when asked by the press if the voice in the audio clip was indeed his. “A thorough inquiry will reveal the truth. I personally felt it would be inappropri­ate to hang on to my ministry during a probe.”

The channel aired an audio clip in which a man’s voice is heard, but the voice at the other end was not audible.

When the press insisted on knowing why he was relinquish­ing his post when he was dismissing the charge and there was no complaint, Saseendran said that he didn’t want to become a burden on the government or his party.

 ??  ?? A.K. Saseendran
A.K. Saseendran

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