Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 15 (IANS): Three days after Kerala Higher Education Minister K.T. Jaleel resigned, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also has to quit.

Incidentally, the case pertains to an appointment made by Jaleel in 2018 when he posted his close relative as general manager in a state-owned corporation. The Lokayukta said that Jaleel has no moral right to continue in office as he has misused his powers and indulged in nepotism.

Chennithala said Vijayan is also a partner in this 'crime' committed by Jaleel as it was in 2013 the then Congress-led UDF government through a cabinet decision had changed the qualifications for the post to which Jaleel appointed his relative.

"However, when Jaleel decided to appoint his relative, instead of taking the permission of the cabinet to alter the qualification requirements, he prevailed upon Vijayan, who instead of taking the file to the cabinet, cleared it himself and hence he is also a partner in the crime and he has no moral right to continue in office," said Chennithala.

Jaleel appointed his close relative K.T. Adeeb, as general manager in the Kerala State Minorities Development Finance Corporation, under his Ministry and since then the Youth wing of the Indian Union Muslim League, the second biggest ally of the Congress-led UDF was up in arms.

Following a huge protest inside and outside the assembly even though Jaleel vainly defended that the appointment was in order and also got the support of the CPI-M, but finally Adeeb quit the post and returned to his banking job.

It was P.K. Mohammed Shafi a resident of Jaleel's home district Malappuram who approached the Lokayukta against the posting.

"We now hear that the government is going to take this case to the Kerala High Court. It's really surprising to note that, on one hand this government speaks of morality and on the other, they do everything which is immoral," added Chennithala.