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Even as the Chief Minister’s office quickly distanced itself from the remarks, a correction note issued by ‘The Hindu’ has deepened the controversy, bringing the role of PR agencies and its influence on Chief minister’s interviews and thus trying to allegedly misrepresent the statements.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s comments on gold smuggling in Malappuram led to a major row
Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is in the back-foot after he found himself at the midst of a ‘public relations (PR) row’ following an interview with The Hindu that sparked debates over his views on gold smuggling and hawala transactions in Malappuram.
Even as the Chief Minister’s office quickly distanced itself from the remarks, a correction note issued by ‘The Hindu’ has deepened the controversy, bringing the role of PR agencies and its influence on Chief minister’s interviews and thus trying to allegedly misrepresent the statements.
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There was a massive backlash that followed when media houses demanded answers from the CMO over the background of the PR agency and the two representatives that reached out to the Chief Minister’s office. There are many questions that remain unanswered which further raises questions on what was the necessity of a PR agency to manage the interviews of the Kerala Chief Minister.
The opposition Congress lashed out at the LDF and the Chief minister demanding action against the PR agency if the Chief Minister felt that there were few ‘extra points’ added to certain answers.
How did the matter unfold?
In an interview published by ‘The Hindu’ on September 30, Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan was asked about allegations that top-ranking police officers were secretly meeting with RSS functionaries. While addressing the topic, the Chief Minister reportedly said: “150 kg of gold and hawala money worth Rs 123 crore were seized by the state police in the last five years from Malappuram district. This money is entering Kerala for anti-state and anti-national activities.”
This statement linking Malappuram’s gold smuggling to extremist activities drew backlash from the Muslim League and opposition leaders, who demanded evidence for the claim that funds were being used for anti-national activities.
Within an hour the Chief Minister’s office issued a press release stating that the remarks made in the interview did not reflect the CM’s views or the state government’s stance.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at a party programme himself stated that The Hindu had issued a correction and that his words were “misinterpreted.” He claimed that parts of the interview he did not say had led to the controversy and the newspaper had rectified the error. In response to the Chief Minister’s denial, The Hindu issued a correction note that added another layer to the controversy. The note stated: PR agency Kaizen had approached ‘The Hindu’ offering an interview with the Chief Minister.
Correction from ‘The Hindu’ raises further questions
The correction note from ‘The Hindu’ raises questions about the extent of PR influence in shaping the Chief Minister’s public image. Despite the disavowal of certain remarks, the Chief Minister’s office has yet to address the revelation that PR representatives were present during the interview and influenced its content. So far, there has been no official comment from Kaizzen, the PR agency involved, regarding their role in the interview or their relationship with the Kerala Chief Minister’s office.
However opposition Congress has alleged that the PR agency and few individuals close to the BJP are the ones who are ‘manipulating’ the interviews where they provide answers to suit their political agenda. Meanwhile, neither the CPM state leadership or any senior leaders have responded to presence of PR agency while preparing for interviews.
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