Thiruvananthapuram: Former Minister and Kerala
Congress (B) leader R Balakrishna Pillai has landed in fresh trouble after he allegedly slapped the Assistant Private
Secretary (APS) to his son and State Minister for Forest,
K B Ganesh Kumar.
The unsavory incident took place yesterday at the residence
of Ganesh Kumar in Pathanapuram in Kollam district "in full
public view," during which Pillai slapped APS Pradeep Kumar
"several times," according to those present on the occasion.
Seventy seven year-old Pillai did not deny the incident,
and told reporters Kumar had "misbehaved" with one of the
senior leaders of KC(B) and even beat up a senior leader.
"If Pradeep Kumar had beaten someone, he is bound to get it
back," Pillai said. When contacted, Pradeep Kumar claimed
Pillai had slapped him without any provocation.
However, he added he would not lodge a complaint
considering Pillai`s age and also he being the father of
Ganesh Kumar, whom he "respected very much".
Pradeep Kumar also denied Pillai`s allegation that he had
misbehaved with any senior leaders of KC-B.
Pillai, who was sentenced to jail last year by the Supreme
Court for a year in a corruption case, was later freed under
the remission granted by the state government on the occasion
of state-formation day.
The incident is seen as an outcome of the widening rift
between Pillai and Ganesh Kumar in the KC(B). Pillai had
recenlty openly expressed dissatisfaction over the functioning
of Ganesh Kumar and had said the Minister was not listening to
any of the views of the party.
PTI
