The ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) in Kerala on Tuesday gave rise to a controversy after the chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to name his own son-in-law PA Mohammad Riyaz in the Kerala cabinet list.
All the ministers of CPI(M) that were part of the previous government have been dropped from the state cabinet and young and fresh faces are given a chance in the new cabinet.
However, the controversy arose when notable ministers including the former Health Minister KK Shailaja were dropped despite being the face of the fight against pandemic in the state and Riyaz, the ‘young & fresh faces’ with an extremely controversial past, is given a position in the cabinet.
Mohammed Riyaz is the chief of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and won the elections from the Beyopre constituency. He was recently sent to judicial custody for 14 days for vandalizing the Kozhikode Air India office on September 6, 2010 against the increase in air fares and the reduction of air services.
Riyaz was also in the forefront of ‘beef cooking’ protests that were organised in Kerala against the Centre’s decision of banning sale and purchase of cattle from animal markets for slaughter.
