Govindan vs Satheesan: It is Congress' 'good luck charm' against CPM's 'Liar No 1'

If Chief Minister V D Satheesan derisively called him the "good luck charm" of the Congress, CPM state secretary M V Govindan wants to popularise the pejorative his party has slapped on the CM: 'nuneshan' (a blend of the Malayalam word for 'lie' and the last half of Satheesan's name). Early in the day the CM called Govindan his 'good luck charm' for coming up with what he called "blunders" like the CM's Office is a "drug mafia den".

After the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, the Chief Minister told reporters that his first meeting with K H Muhammad Hussain, a Youth Congress worker from whom MDMA was seized, took place after he was roughed up by the police for protesting against the Nava Kerala Sadas held at Perumbavoor on December 10, 2023.

Five hours later, Govindan called the press to AKG Centre and displayed photographs showing the CM with Hussain. "All these pictures were taken between 2021 and October 2023, before the 'sadas' happened on December 10, 2023," Govindan said.

Before he displayed the photographs, Govindan said: "We need to carefully examine the lies V D Satheesan has uttered today to protect his social media coordinator." Satheesan had said the first time he called Hussain was when the latter was hospitalised following the lathi charge on Nava Kerala Sadas day. After he was discharged, Satheesan said he had met Hussain at his house.

Govindan said that Hussain was the wholesale dealer of MDMA in seven districts long before Nava Kerala Sadas happened. "It was during this period, when he was a known drug dealer, that Satheesan had met with him innumerable times," Govindan said.

In these photographs (2021 to October 2023), Satheesan can be seen in both formal and casual attire, hinting at Hussain's close proximity to the CM. "The claim was that he met the accused only after the 'sadas'. These photographs prove that Satheesan had lied," Govindan said.

He said that random people wanting to get photographed with a senior political leader was not unusual. "However, scrutinise the multitude of pictures taken at multiple venues and a clear picture of the bond this accused has with the CM will emerge," Govindan said.

The CM had also said that Hussain had met him "some four or five times" after he visited him at his house. Govindan said that he was in possession of more than 18 pictures Hussain had taken with Satheesan after the 'house visit'. These were pictures in the backdrop of birthday parties, religious feasts and also ones taken at Satheesan's home, and one of them even as recent as May 8, just 10 days before he was sworn in as Chief Minister.

Nonetheless, Govindan did not have any material to establish that Hussain was the CM's social media coordinator. Being the coordinator of an unofficial 'Team V D Satheesan' Facebook page does not make Hussain the CM's social media coordinator.

While giving the chronology of his association with Hussain, the CM had said that he was "cruelly" beaten up and "was gravely injured". The CM also said that he had visited Hussain at his house after he had undergone "massage and treatment". Govindan called this the CM's description of a drug dealer's sacrifices and interpreted it as an attempt to influence the police probe against Hussain.

"By saying that the accused was badly injured and was under treatment, the CM was telling the police that this was a man who had made a lot of sacrifices," Govindan said.

On the other hand, the CPM state secretary said that the CM was going to extreme lengths to remove from social media all photographs and posts that link him to the accused. "The CM says he has not done anything. But the problem is, only those information critical of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and Satheesan are disappearing from social media. Satheesan is going Modi's way," he said, and added: "A social media emergency is in place."