Thiruvananthapuram:
The wife of a Kerala minister, Ganesh Kumar, has alleged domestic violence, putting in a tight spot the Congress-led UDF government of Oommen Chandy, who might have to ask him to resign.
Yamini Thankachy, a doctor, held a press conference this evening alleging that her husband, a former film actor, had physically abused and tortured her for the last 14 years. She alleged that very recently the minister had "held me by the hair and beaten me up."
Ms Thankachy said this only hours after Mr Kumar had filed for divorce and told the court that his wife had attacked him. He submitted in court photographs that purportedly show him with injuries to the face as evidence.
There is much speculation that the scandal might force an embarrassed Kerala government to ask its minister to resign. But Ganesh Kumar, who belongs to the Kerala Congress - B, a UDF ally, has reportedly made it clear that if he is made to resign, he will also quit his seat in the Kerala Assembly. Ganesh Kumar is the only MLA from his party in the Kerala Assembly and is the minister for Forest, Cinema and Sports.
The Chandy government has a very slim majority of five in the 140-member House and every legislator counts.
The 46-year-old Mr Kumar and Ms Thankachy have been married for 18 years. They have two children. The minister's wife has alleged that she had earlier complained to Chief Minister Chandy and other ministers about the alleged domestic violence, but that they had done nothing. "I have been cheated. I waited after being asked to do so by the Chief Minister. I have been beaten for the past 14 years. Ganesh Kumar has been in an illicit relationship," she said today.
However, Mr Kumar said that he is being blackmailed by his wife and that he wants a detailed investigation. "The chief minister is a respectable person, he knows the complete truth... I want a detailed investigation by an impartial authority... I am innocent, Yamini wants my money... she beat me up, have submitted the photographs to the court," he said.
Mr Kumar has also been in the news lately for his political differences with his father R Balakrishna Pillai, who founded the Kerala Congress - B. Mr Pillai had reportedly asked Mr Chandy last month to remove his son from his ministerial post.