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I am not a sanyasi: Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on CM ambition
From Operation Tufan and the Sabarimala gold theft case to his CM ambitions, Ramesh Chennithala speaks about Kerala's challenges, Centre-state ties and why he wants a wider drug crackdown.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has said he has not given up his ambition of becoming chief minister, while insisting that his immediate responsibility is to maintain law and order and give the people of the state a peaceful life.
Speaking to Rajdeep Sardesai at the India Today Roundtable Kerala, Chennithala was asked whether he had accepted that VD Satheesan, his junior in the Congress, was now the Chief Minister despite Chennithala himself having held the Home portfolio in the Oommen Chandy government.
Chennithala said political power could change hands and that several of his juniors had gone on to become chief ministers.
“I never go for power or positions. Power may come or may not come. But I am an ardent Congress worker. Loyal to the family and the party. I work for the party,” he said.
He cited the examples of Mamata Banerjee, Ashok Chavan, Kiran Kumar Reddy and Bhupesh Baghel, saying they had all been his juniors at different stages.
“Power will come, power will go,” he said.
Asked directly whether he had given up his chief ministerial dream, Chennithala gave a candid response.
“As a Home Minister, it is my duty to give a peaceful life to the people of Kerala. And the law and order situation has to be taken into consideration. And whatever good I can do to the people, I am doing it,” he said.
But he added, “Politically, if I will say that I don’t have any ambition, nobody will believe me. I won’t believe you at all. I won’t believe you at least. I am not a sanyasi. I am in politics.”
He said political power was sought for “the betterment of the people”.
OPERATION TUFAN: ‘BIGGEST NARCO HUNT IN THE COUNTRY’
A major part of the conversation centred on Operation Tufan, the Kerala government’s campaign against drugs.
Chennithala said he had realised the seriousness of the drug problem while he was in the Opposition. He recalled organising a “vakathon” across all 14 districts under his NGO, Proud Kerala, with Priyanka Gandhi attending the event in Wayanad and Sonia Gandhi also being present.
“I never thought that this issue is so serious in Kerala,” he said, adding that the campaign helped him gauge the scale of the problem.
He said he had then promised that if he got an opportunity, he would try to “uproot this menace from the soil of Kerala”.
After becoming Home Minister, he said the government launched Operation Tufan.
“This is the biggest narco hunt in the country,” Chennithala said.
Asked whether he stood by that description, he replied, “Yes, yes.”
According to the figures cited during the interview, 11,551 people have been arrested and large quantities of cannabis, MDMA and hashish have been seized.
Chennithala said the campaign had received a strong response from people across Kerala, particularly from parents concerned about young people and drug abuse.
FROM ARRESTS TO REHABILITATION: THREE PARTS OF TUFAN
Chennithala said Operation Tufan was not limited to arrests and police action.
He described three components of the campaign - Tufan Strike, Tufan Warriors and Tufan Care.
“Tufan Strike” involves arrests and taking people into custody, he said.
The second component, “Tufan Warriors”, focuses on awareness and community participation. Film star Mohanlal is the first Tufan Warrior, Chennithala said.
The warriors will educate people about the drug menace and identify areas where drug-related activity is taking place, before informing the police and government, according to Chennithala.
“So it’s not just enforcement, it’s also education,” he said.
The third component, “Tufan Care”, focuses on people affected by drug abuse.
“Those people who are being affected by this, they will be treated, they will be rehabilitated by the government, and they will be brought back to the normal life,” he said.
KERALA SEEKS COORDINATED SOUTH INDIA DRUG CRACKDOWN
Chennithala said Kerala cannot tackle the drug problem alone and that the campaign needs coordination across southern states.
He said he had spoken to Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay and the Puducherry Chief Minister, besides speaking to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and the Telangana Chief Minister.
“We have to have a coordinated effort on this,” he said.
He also said all five southern state DGPs had attended a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram and that he had held two meetings with central agencies working in Kerala, including Customs, Intelligence and the Narcotics Cell.
Chennithala said the drug network had reached schools and colleges across Kerala and other southern states.
He also referred to Tamil Nadu actor-turned-politician Vijay’s campaign against drugs, saying Vijay had participated in a run and that the campaign had reached people in a big way.
Chennithala said the government was preparing to take Operation Tufan beyond enforcement and awareness campaigns in cities and educational institutions.
“We are going to start the second phase. We are going to the villages, the Gram Panchayats, Block Panchayat, Jila Panchayat,” he said.
“All local bodies will be involved in it,” he added.
The second phase is scheduled to begin on September 28, with Kudumbashree also set to participate.
“This is going to become a big mass movement in Kerala,” Chennithala said.
He also backed cooperation between the Centre and states on the drug issue, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stated goal of making India drug-free by 2029.
“It has to work together. We have to work together,” he said.
SABARIMALA GOLD THEFT CASE: ‘NOBODY WILL BE SPARED’
Chennithala was also questioned about the Sabarimala gold theft case and allegations that the Congress-led government was protecting politically influential people.
He rejected the allegation and said the investigation was being monitored by the Kerala High Court.
“This is a court monitor issue. Court is monitoring the entire investigation process,” he said.
According to Chennithala, around five to seven important people had been arrested and were in jail, while the investigation was continuing.
“The final report has to be submitted to the High Court of Kerala. Court monitor process is going on,” he said.
Asked whether influential people involved in the case would be spared, Chennithala replied: “Nobody will be spared. Those who are involved in this crime, they will be brought before the law. No doubt about it.”
He also rejected the suggestion that the government was protecting people politically associated with the Left.
“We are not protecting anybody. And Ayyappa will not allow to protect also. Lord Ayyappa will not allow to protect anybody,” he said.
PILANI CASE: CHENNITHALA SAYS LEGAL OPINION AWAITED
The Home Minister was also asked why the UDF government had not filed a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over allegations of money laundering involving his family.
Chennithala said a report relating to the alleged money laundering case had recently been sent to the Kerala Police by the Enforcement Directorate.
He distinguished between the money laundering proceedings and any possible action under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
On the latter, he said he had sought a report and legal opinion from the Director General of Police.
“It was only a report they had given to us. Now, as Home Minister, I have asked for a report, legal opinion from the DG of Kerala,” he said.
Asked whether the government was ruling out filing a case, Chennithala said the government would wait for the legal opinion before deciding its next steps.
“Let the legal opinion come. Then we will take necessary steps after getting the legal opinion,” he said.
He also rejected the charge of vendetta politics.
“We never resort to vendetta politics,” Chennithala said.
‘NO PELLET GUNS’ AGAINST STUDENT PROTESTERS
Chennithala was questioned about the Kerala government's handling of student protests after police used water cannons and lathis during an SFI march to Kerala University, with some students reported injured.
He contrasted the episode with Congress criticism of police action against student protesters at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
Chennithala said the two situations were different and questioned the reason for the SFI protest in Kerala.
He said water cannons had also been used against Congress workers when the Left Democratic Front was in power.
But when asked whether he would allow pellet guns to be used against student protesters, Chennithala gave a clear answer.
“We will never do that,” he said.
He accused the SFI and CPM of violent agitations but defended the use of water cannons as a police response.
CHENNIITHALA FLAGS FINANCIAL CRUNCH, SEEKS MORE POWERS FOR KERALA
Asked about the biggest challenge facing the VD Satheesan government over its next four years, Chennithala pointed to Kerala’s finances.
He said the government had received a strong mandate but was facing high expectations and “a lot of limitations”.
“Main issue before all of us is the financial crunch,” he said.
Chennithala also said the Centre-state relationship needed to be rewritten and that Kerala should receive greater financial powers.
“Without that we cannot fulfil the promises which is given to the people of Kerala,” he said.
Asked whether he was accusing the Centre of discriminating against Kerala, Chennithala stopped short of making that charge.
“No. Let us wait for some more time. It is not proper for my part to say that now they are discriminating,” he said.
He added that the state expected the Centre to adopt a “new approach” towards Kerala.
CHENNITHALA WANTS OPERATION TUFAN TO BECOME A NATIONAL CAMPAIGN
Towards the end of the conversation, Chennithala said the fight against drugs should move beyond political divisions and become a national effort.
He rejected the suggestion that Operation Tufan should be viewed simply as an achievement of the Home Minister.
“Definitely it is not much achievement. So far? Achievement of the people of Kerala,” he said.
He said the issue had become a major concern for young people and argued that political parties should come together to tackle it.
“This is the most important issue before the youngsters in our country. I think that time has come for everybody to come together, cutting across politics,” Chennithala said.
“Everybody should come together and say, we should come together and save this young generation of our country.”
He also urged the campaign to be expanded nationally, saying every state government and the Centre needed to work together against the drug menace.