Kerala Excise Minister Firmly Denies Escort Order Controversy
Excise Minister M B Rajesh has strongly rejected recent reports suggesting that excise officials received instructions to provide him with an escort during his visits to various districts. The minister labeled the entire controversy as completely baseless and misleading.
Social Media Reports Spark Controversy
Widespread reports circulated rapidly across social media platforms this week. These reports claimed that Excise Commissioner M R Ajithkumar had issued a directive ordering officials to arrange escorts for the minister during his district visits. Many people apparently believed these reports to be accurate.
Minister Rajesh addressed these claims directly on Thursday. He categorically denied that any such requirement or instruction ever existed. "There is absolutely no need for any new escort arrangement that never existed so far," he stated firmly.
Minister's Experience and Clarification
Rajesh pointed to his three and a half years of experience as excise minister. During this entire period, he never considered providing escorts to be part of the excise department's responsibilities. The minister explained that when the news first broke, he was attending an important official meeting at KILA.
This meeting brought together mayors, municipal chairpersons, and district and block presidents. The gathering lasted nearly three hours, preventing Rajesh from speaking directly with the excise commissioner immediately. Later, his office contacted Commissioner Ajithkumar for clarification.
The commissioner confirmed that no such order had been issued. According to the clarification received by the minister, the only actual instruction given was quite different. When the minister visits a district, enforcement officials should brief him directly about progress in their enforcement activities.
Political Context and Departmental Actions
Rajesh addressed the political dimension of the controversy directly. With elections approaching, he suggested that such controversies were somewhat expected. The minister noted that similar situations tend to emerge during every election season.
Meanwhile, Rajesh reiterated his commitment to tackling corruption within the excise department. "Strict action is being taken against corrupt officials within the department, without regard to rank or position," he emphasized. The minister added that such actions would continue firmly. Attempts to create controversies would not help anyone evade accountability.
Origins of the Controversy
The controversy originated from specific reports alleging that Excise Commissioner Ajithkumar had introduced what was described as an unusual reform. These reports claimed the commissioner directed excise officials to provide escort duty to the minister.
According to these allegations, officials in all districts where the minister had scheduled programs received instructions to arrange escort services. The reports further claimed this order was issued during a meeting of deputy and joint commissioners held the previous day.
Additional allegations suggested the directive came at a particularly challenging time. The excise department was already struggling with shortages of both personnel and vehicles. Some reports even claimed these instructions were recorded in the official meeting minutes. They also alleged the minister had not been informed about this directive.
Minister Rajesh has now addressed all these claims comprehensively. He maintains the entire episode represents misinformation circulating at a politically sensitive time.
