Devikulam, MLA, S. Rajendran has landed in a controversy following media reports that he had used abusive language against Devikulam Subcollector Renu Raj when a team of Revenue Department officials reached the Munnar grama panchayat shopping complex under construction last week to issue a stop memo.
The stop memo was issued under the orders of Ms. Raj after it was found that the shopping complex under the name Woman Industrial Centre was constructed without adhering to the rules under the River Protection Act.
A group of persons led by Mr. Rajendran blocked the officials and allegedly used abusive words against the Subcollector. In visuals aired on news channels, the MLA could be seen launching a tirade against Ms. Raj.
Ms. Raj on Sunday registered a formal complaint with the District Collector and the Chief Secretary. She said she would submit the video clippings of the incident on Monday. She is also reportedly preparing to report to the High Court against the panchayat for ignoring the notice issued by the Revenue Department and going ahead with the construction.
Mr. Rajendran, however, denied the charge and said that it was the Subcollector who had used bad words against him. He said he was at the place of construction as an ordinary citizen and not as a people’s representative. The shopping complex which is designed to have 60 shops had been found to be on encroached land on the river side.
The CPI(M) decided to seek an explanation from Mr. Rajendran on his controversial remarks. Party district secretary K.K. Jayachandran said the CPI(M) would not intervene in legal matters pertaining to land encroachments. An inquiry would be conducted on the controversial comments and explanation sought from him if he was found to have erred.
CPI district secretary K.K. Sivaraman said that action should be taken if the MLA had abused the Subcollector. Mr. Rajendran should have been more careful in his words, he said.
In 2017, the then Idukki Subcollector Sriram Venkataraman had to face the ire of the CPI(M) for his strong anti-encroachment drive. Even Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had expressed strong reservations after he ordered a 30-feet cross at Pappathichola in Munnar to be brought down. Mr. Venkataraman was subsequently shunted out.
Hardly a year later, another Subcollector V.R. Premkumar was also moved out after local CPI(M) leaders took exception to his strong action against encroachments in Munnar.