Kochi, 18 July (H.S.):

The controversy over the appointment of a former Students' Federation of India (SFI) activist as a Government Pleader took a fresh turn on Friday after senior Congress leader and former minister K. Babu claimed that the lawyer had been recommended by a Congress Member of Parliament.

Addressing reporters, Babu said the Chief Minister alone could not be blamed for the controversial appointment, as the recommendation had originated from within the Congress. He initially refrained from naming the MP but indicated that it was not Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden. He also suggested that the criticism directed solely at the Chief Minister was unfair.

Babu said appointments to government legal posts should not be judged entirely on political affiliations. According to him, the qualifications and professional competence of applicants must also be taken into consideration.

Politics cannot be the only criterion in every appointment. The candidate's merit and eligibility should also be evaluated, he said, adding that holding only the Chief Minister responsible ignored the role of those who had recommended the advocate.

Soon after Babu's remarks, Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose publicly admitted that he had recommended advocate Jiona James for the Government Pleader post. He said the recommendation was made solely on the basis of her professional qualifications and not because of any political considerations.

Dean said he had 100 per cent confidence in her ability and had made the recommendation in his capacity as a Member of Parliament after being fully satisfied with her credentials.

The appointment of Jiona James, a former SFI activist, has triggered sharp differences within the Congress. A section of the party has questioned the decision to back a lawyer with a past association with the CPI(M)'s student wing, while others have argued that professional merit should outweigh political background.

Dean's admission is expected to intensify the debate within the Congress over the process and criteria adopted for recommending candidates to government legal positions.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman