The Congress party in Kerala has criticized the CPI-M government led by Pinarayi Vijayan for planning to shut down the State Secretariat’s e-office system. Senior party leaders Ramesh Chennithala and V.D. Satheesan have raised suspicions, alleging that the move is an attempt to hide corruption-related files. Chennithala described the decision to take the e-office servers offline for maintenance as a ploy to destroy evidence before a potential change in government.
The shutdown, scheduled for five days, has sparked controversy due to its timing just after Kerala’s recent legislative elections. Chennithala questioned the necessity of such maintenance at this juncture, suggesting it could have been delayed until a new government assumes power. He further accused certain government officials, including the State Chief Secretary, of being involved in this suspicious move to delete files related to alleged corruption during the current administration.
V.D. Satheesan, echoing similar concerns, has written to the Kerala Chief Electoral Officer, expressing worries about the decision to suspend the e-office system during the enforcement of the model code of conduct. He raised doubts about the intention behind the sudden shutdown, especially during the election period, and urged the Election Commission to step in to ensure transparency and prevent any manipulation of official records.
The Congress party’s objections have escalated the political tensions, with the Opposition viewing the shutdown as a potential attempt to cover up digital traces, while the government maintains that it is a routine technical upgrade.
