Malappuram: Muslim Youth League (MYL) state general secretary P K Firos on Thursday broke his silence on the ongoing allegations made against him by former minister and CPM-backed independent MLA KT Jaleel, dismissing them as baseless and politically motivated.

Firos said that Jaleel’s accusations stemmed from resentment over being exposed in the nepotism controversy. "He is now left with only wild claims about my alleged links with Dawood," Firos remarked, accusing Jaleel of being agitated as allegations of corruption during his ministerial tenure continue to surface. "He seems mentally unsettled and is making contradictory statements," he added.

Firos firmly denied any involvement in illegal activities, stating that he had maintained transparency about his business interests. He confirmed having partnerships in fried chicken outlets located in Koppam in Palakkad and at Highlight Mall in Kozhikode. He added that the party was fully aware of his ventures and had only advised him to steer clear of anything unlawful.

"I also have other ventures," he said, without elaborating further.

Responding to the charge of financial irregularities in the "Dothi Challenge" fundraising initiative, Firos quipped, "If even after three years none can raise the dhothi, it means the dhothi (the campaign) was not bad." He challenged Jaleel to prove any misuse of funds during Firos’ tenure as Youth League secretary.

Turning the spotlight on Jaleel, Firos alleged irregularities in land deals for Malayalam University, promising to release evidence of large-scale corruption soon.

Jaleel, however, quickly countered Firos’ statements, asserting that none of the key allegations against the MYL leader had been refuted. "Firos has not denied a single charge I raised," Jaleel said, questioning how Firos earned a reported monthly salary of ₹5.5 lakh from a company with only three employees. He mocked Firos’ supposed role as sales manager in Dubai, asking where the firm’s office was located and why nobody could trace it.

"Firos is a magician in Kerala politics," Jaleel scoffed, also demanding disclosure of details about Firos’ business activities in the UAE.