Kerala Minister's kin quits amid nepotism row

Malappuram (Kerala) Nov 1 : A close relative of a Kerala Minister quit on Monday as the demand for Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel's resignation gathered momentum following allegations of nepotism in the appointment.

K.T. Adeeb's appointment as general manager in a state-owned corporation in September had sparked protests by the youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League -- the second biggest ally of the Congress-led-UDF.

Adeeb, who joined the Kerala Minorities Development Finance Corporation, under Jaleel's ministry, finally submitted his papers earlier in the day.

However, Youth League chief P.K. Firos said: "We will not stop our protest till Jaleel quits and faces a probe into the entire episode as it is a clear case of nepotism."

Despite Jaleel, an Independent MLA, receiving support of the ruling CPI-M, Firos came out with incriminating documents to negate Jaleel's claims, leading to Adeeb's resignation.

The developments have taken place a day after Jubilee Navaprabha, wife of Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran, quit her post in the University of Kerala following criticism that her husband played a role in getting her the job.

Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan, who quit in 2016 following similar charges, was reinstated earlier in 2018 after a court gave him a clean chit.