Respect for Chief Minister’s office must be maintained, says Ganesh Kumar

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: K.B. Ganesh Kumar has strongly condemned the use of derogatory language against the office of the Chief Minister, stating that disrespectful remarks targeting the state's highest executive position are completely unacceptable. He emphasised that regardless of political affiliations, the decorum and respect due to a Chief Minister must be strictly maintained by everyone. The reaction comes in the wake of controversial statements made by Nair Service Society (NSS) General Secretary G. Sukumaran Nair against Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan.

Criticising the nature of the remarks, Ganesh Kumar noted that using casual and dismissive pronouns to refer to the Chief Minister reflects a profound lack of dignity and cultural decorum. He took sharp exception to assertions suggesting that the Chief Minister should personally bow down or seek favour from individuals, labelling such expectations as entirely misplaced. Drawing from his extensive experience as a former minister and multiple-term MLA, Ganesh Kumar reminded that a Chief Minister operates under immense administrative responsibilities and severe time constraints, which everyone needs to understand and respect.

The former minister also delivered a firm rejoinder to Sukumaran Nair’s rhetoric threatening to erase his political identity and relevance. Ganesh Kumar asserted that his identity remains firmly rooted in being the son of the veteran leader R. Balakrishna Pillai, alongside his established career as a well-known artist since entering the film industry at the age of nineteen. Having spent the last 25 years actively engaged in public life, he stated that his standing relies solely on the goodwill and mandate of the people rather than the patronage or benevolence of any individual or organisation.

Ganesh Kumar further indicated that Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan is highly unlikely to visit the NSS headquarters following the recent friction. Reflecting on his 26-year-long close friendship with Satheesan, the MLA concluded that institutional respect must always transcend personal camaraderie, reiterating that the dignity of the Chief Minister’s office must be upheld under all circumstances.