Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary M.V. Govindan has challenged the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to “assume responsibility” for the financial liabilities of the family of late N.M. Vijayan’s family, the Wayanad District Congress Committee (DCC) treasurer who recently committed suicide following financial liabilities, allegedly caused by party leaders.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the family of Vijayan at Sulthan Bathery in Wayanad on Monday (January 13, 2025), Mr. Govindan said that the CPI(M) would need to address these obligations should the KPCC fails to intervene.

“The KPCC should have taken care of the family. But they chose to attack and insult the family instead”, Mr. Govindan said, adding that Congress leader and Sulthan Bathery MLA I.C. Balakrishnan was “not in a state to face the public” after the allegations made by Vijayan in his letters.

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan also visited the family later. He said that the Congress party was “unaware” of the whereabouts of Mr. Balakrishnan and DCC president N.D. Appachan, another accused in the case.

Vijayan and his son Jijesh, a former employee of the Sulthan Bathery Urban Cooperative Bank, had died on December 27 after an alleged suicide attempt. Two letters by Vijayan before his death had put Mr. Balakrishnan and Mr. Appachan in a spot, as he accused them of corruption. Vijayan accused the MLA of taking bribes for offering jobs in the cooperative bank while neither he, nor Mr. Appachan cleared their debts at the bank.

Vijayan had allegedly incurred great financial liabilities catering to the financial demands of the Congress leaders.

The district police had booked the MLA and some local party leaders, including Mr. Appachan, on charges of abetment to suicide in connection with Vijayan’s death, triggering a political row and putting the Opposition on the defensive.