Kozhikode, 11 July (H.S.): The Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulama has intensified its criticism of the Kerala government over the appointment of a government pleader to the High Court, alleging that individuals with alleged links to the Sangh Parivar are being appointed to key government positions.

Speaking to reporters, SYS state secretary Abdussamad Pookkottur said the issue had sparked widespread concern and expressed hope that the United Democratic Front (UDF) would take the matter seriously.

There will naturally be opposition whenever persons alleged to have links with the Sangh Parivar are appointed to important positions. There is dissatisfaction over the issue even within the UDF, and senior leaders have indicated that it will be discussed by the alliance. We will wait to see what decision the UDF takes after its deliberations, he said.

Pookkottur also raised questions over Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan's stand on the issue. He said Satheesan had publicly articulated his position on such matters even before the Assembly elections and added that it was necessary to examine whether the Chief Minister had departed from those earlier commitments.

It is our responsibility to assess whether the Chief Minister has deviated from the positions he had consistently maintained before the elections, Pookkottur said.

The controversy centres on the appointment of D.S. Sharath as a Government Pleader in the Kerala High Court. The appointment had earlier triggered political debate after allegations surfaced that Sharath had links with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The allegations have been denied by the government, but the appointment has continued to draw criticism from sections of the ruling coalition's support base and Muslim organisations.

With Samastha now openly voicing its objections, the issue is expected to come up for discussion within the UDF, adding a political dimension to the controversy over appointments to key legal positions in the state.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman