Jubily Navaprabha, wife of Kerala Public Works Department Minister G Sudhakaran has resigned from her post as Director, Self-Financing courses in Kerala University, over allegations that her husband played a role in getting her the job.
Speaking to media on her resignation, Jubily said that she was not compelled by anyone but that she decided to resign as there were attempts to tarnish the image of Sudhakaran. “I have not involved myself in any political or administrative name affairs and they are using me to tarnish his image. This is why I’m throwing away my job in the dust bin. For me, my husband is more important, not my job,” she said.
Prior to her resignation, there were allegations that there were attempts to make her position as director permanent with a hike in salary. However, she said that she had made no effort to make her position permanent or get a salary raise but there were still “baseless allegations” against her and the minister.
“This is conspiracy to tarnish his image and they are using me to do this. Whoever is behind this conspiracy should be brought out. My husband does not support any sort of corruption and I have lived with this selfless person for 36 years now,” Jubily said.
According to Jubily, a former vice principal at SD College in Alappuzha, she had applied for the post of Director even without informing her husband.
The post of Director of self-financing courses was created by bringing together three separate sections of courses together, namely technology, education and management. Prior to this, each section had a separate director who were usually senior professors. This decision to unite the sections was made in a budget presented by KH Babujan, the university’s finance committee convener and a CPI(M) leader, according to reports.
Eight applicants including Jubily were received by the university. Jubily was a faculty member of the Commerce Department in SD College, prior to becoming the Vice Principal. She was chosen to head the courses for Management, Technology and Education, which according to some university officials was illogical as she hailed from a Commerce background.
The incident is the latest in a slew of nepotism allegations against CPI(M) ministers holding positions. Several protests by IUML youth against KT Jaleel - Minister of Higher Education and Minority Affairs - took place on Saturday over the appointment of his cousin KT as Director of Kerala State Minorities Development Finance Corporation. On Sunday, Adeeb wrote a letter to the corporation chairman VK Akbar expressing his interest in resigning from the post as the nepotism allegations ‘hurt his dignity.’
Earlier, Minister for Industries and Sports, EP Jayarajan had quit in 2016 over allegations that he was appointing his kin in key positions in state-run organisations. Following the Kerala High Court giving him a clean chit in the case, he was reinstated in 2018.