KOZHIKODE: The latest disclosure by KA Rauf, the estranged co-brother of Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty, that the minister’s grudge against retired judge MA Nizar led to the disbanding of the inquiry commission, which was probing the Kasargod police firing incident, has once again put the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on the defensive.On Saturday, Rauf said Kunhalikutty has a grudge against MA Nizar as the latter refused to budge to his three demands including convincing Panakkad Thangal to form an alliance with the CPM, undermining the ice-cream parlour case by influencing the then Kozhikode district judge Padmanabhan and putting pressure on social activist Sugathakumari to stop the campaigns targeting Kunhalikutty.Confirming Rauf’s statements, MA Nizar told ‘Express’ that Kunhalikutty had met him when he was the law secretary during the tenure of EK Nayanar-led LDF government. “Kunhalikutty asked me to talk to Panakkad Thangal and convince him that the Marxist party protects the interests of the Muslims. He told me that as I was an independent judge, Thangal would hear my words. However, being a government official I decided not to do so,” he said.However, Nizar refused to disclose the details of other two demands made by Kunhalikutty. “It’s true that he asked me to influence the then district judge Padmanabhan and Sugathakumari. But, I would not like to disclose those details,” he said.Nizar said the hostility of League leaders towards him was the also the sole reason for the abolishment of the seven-member Local Self Government Ombudsman by the UDF government.“Being the seniormost district judge, I was appointed as one of the judicial members of the Ombudsman, which comprised seven members. Later, when the UDF came to power, the Muslim League wanted to eject me. As per the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act, members of the Ombudsman can be ousted only through impeachment before the Assembly.Hence, they made an amendment in the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act and reconstituted the Ombudsman with a single member,” Nizar said. Earlier, the UDF government’s decision to dissolve the M A Nizar Commission had evoked a controversy as the LDF leaders alleged that the move was under pressure from the Muslim League.They also alleged the League was apparently worried that the continuation of the probe into the Kasargod firing would be detrimental to some of its ministers in the present Cabinet.
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