Jaleel to hand over complaints to CM, Vigilance Director, says his campaign will serve as a heads up for govt.

The Left Democratic Front-backed Independent legislator K.T. Jaleel, who urged the general public to report corruption on his WhatsApp number, will hand over the complaints to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan next week.

Mr. Jaleel, who dropped his decision to launch a portal for the public to raise complaints, decided to use his WhatsApp number to collate information apparently after CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan stated that a portal was unwarranted as a system was in place to deal with corruption.

Unperturbed by Mr. Govindan’s stance, Mr. Jaleel said the information gathered on corruption would serve as a heads-up for the government against corruption.

“I would send the complaints received on my WhatsApp to the Chief Minister and the Director of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau for action. Usually, MLAs forward such complaints with covering letters. However, I will take up the complaints on my own and write to the Vigilance Director on my letterhead. The identity of the complainants will not be revealed to protect them,” Mr. Jaleel said.

Mr. Jaleel’s move comes close after P. V. Anwar, another CPI(M)-supported Independent MLA, opened a war front against P. Sasi, political secretary of the Chief Minister, and M.R. Ajith Kumar, Additional Director General of Police. He too had published his WhatsApp number for the public to complain against corrupt police officers and other officials.

Mr. Jaleel, a former Minister in the previous government led by Mr. Vijayan, said the complaints preferred by the MLAs would get due weightage and also a reply from the authorities concerned. Those complainants reluctant to approach the authorities can use the facility.